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I couldn't find much (any) info about this question. According to wikipedia:

Prometheus, in eternal punishment, is chained to a rock in the Caucasus, Kazbek Mountain or Mountain of Khvamli, where his liver is eaten daily by an eagle, only to be regenerated by night, due to his immortality. The eagle is a symbol of Zeus himself. Years later, the Greek hero Heracles (Hercules) slays the eagle and frees Prometheus from the eagle's torment.

But what happens after he was freed? Did he think of a rebellion again against the gods with the other titans?

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  • why did Zeus suddenly forgive Prometheus and wasn't Zeus trying to find out which of his sons would overthrow him eventually?
    – Hao S
    Commented Oct 24, 2018 at 1:43

1 Answer 1

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You are referring to the Aeschylus fragment "Prometheus Unbound". Unfortunately this play was mostly lost.

(The source text can be found here: "The Prometheus bound of Aeschylus and the fragments of the Prometheus unbound" on page 145, but it won't be especially helpful unless you have some Latin and Greek.)

For the Prometheus Unbound fragments on Theoi, use this link and look for "PROMÊTHEUS LYOMENOS".

I'll amend if I find any further information, but it looks like any parts of this text that may have told what happens to Prometheus after he is unbound in this play are lost.

However, there is a third play, Prometheus the Fire Bringer, again, surviving only in fragments and only. On Theoi, use this link and look for "PROMÊTHEUS PYRPHOROS".

One theory on this third play hold that Prometheus is reconciled with Zeus after revealing to Zeus the prophecy of Thetis' child becoming greater than Zeus himself [see Brian Donovan's comment below for more clarification], which may derive from Hyginus, Fabulae, 54, and is predicted by Prometheus himself in the Aeschylus. (If true, this 3rd play might have contained the answer on what Prometheus does after he is unbound, but there is an alternate theory holding that this play was actually the first in the trilogy, and depicted the events concerning the theft of fire.)

Graves says that

"Mankind now began to wear rings in Prometheus' honour, and also wreathes, because when released, Prometheus was ordered to crown himself with a willow wreath."
Source: Robert graves, The Greek Myths, 133.m, citing Athenaeus

so there's that.

For more info on this punishment and Athenaeus, see "The Author of the Prometheus Bound" by C.J. Herington.


RELATED: Prometheus Unbound by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Note: Shelly is not part of the classical canon, but is a poet of sufficient stature to be included in the overall literary canon, so he is worth reading if you have an interest in this subject.

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    Hesiod addresses this in Theogony: at 527-28 Heracles is said to save Prometheus from the bird and to deliver him from his cares or anxieties (δυσφροσυνάων); but at 615-16 Prometheus is said in present tense to be bound by the fetter, so maybe getting rid of the bird was all that Heracles did for him. And I believe the prophecy concerning Thetis was merely that her son was to be mightier than his father, which means mightier than Zeus if and only Zeus were to impregnate her, which he is accordingly careful not to do. Commented Aug 29, 2017 at 19:43
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    @BrianDonovan Thanks for the clarifications, particularly in regard to the Theogony! I've updated the answer to reference your comment on the Thetis prophecy.
    – DukeZhou
    Commented Aug 29, 2017 at 22:45
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    @BrianDonovan PS- should you be inspired to propose an alternate answer, my edit also frees the questioner up to shift the accepted answer... I wasn't entirely happy with my answer, but wanted to at least to provide some context.
    – DukeZhou
    Commented Aug 29, 2017 at 22:49

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