A god implants in mortal guilt whenever he wants utterly to confound a house.
AeschylusRead
[Hermes addresses Prometheus :] To you, the clever and crafty, bitter beyond all bitterness, who has sinned against the gods in bestowing honors upon creatures of a day--to you, thief of fire, I speak.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the tension between human creativity and divine order, highlighting the consequences of defying higher powers.
In this quote, Hermes confronts Prometheus for his audacity in gifting fire to humanity, symbolizing knowledge and enlightenment. It emphasizes the bitter irony of human achievements that often come with divine disapproval, suggesting a profound conflict between human ambition and the limits imposed by the gods.
Themes
PrometheusFireCreativityDivineKnowledge
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about creativity and innovation, one could quote this to emphasize the risks of challenging convention.
More from Aeschylus
All quotes →Neither a life of anarchy nor a life under a despot should you praise. To all that lies in the middle has a god given excellence.
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In every tyrant's heart there springs in the end this poison, that he cannot trust a friend.
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It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.
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In war, truth is the first casualty.
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There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief.
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