The Story of Prometheus and the Gift of Fire In the beginning, the gods, led by Zeus, had all the power and knowledge on Mount Olympus, while early humans lived in ignorance and darkness. They shivered in the cold, couldn't cook their food, and lived in constant fear of the wild. Zeus was content to keep it this way. But the titan Prometheus, whose name means "forethought," felt great compassion for humankind. He sa