According to legend, Prometheus was a Greek deity who was witness to the birth of humankind. Actually, Prometheus did a bit more than that: He’s said to have created humankind himself, using clay.

“Prometheus” sounds in ancient Greek like the word “forethought,” and in the classical era these etymologies were taken seriously. The evolution of the Prometheus legend reveals the truth that the ...

The exhibition also features a roomful of other works, tracing Prometheus as an artistic muse. The capper is “Prometheus Eternal,” a comic book with eight modern interpretations of the Prometheus ...

In legend, they were both punished by Zeus for sharing knowledge with humanity. Atlas shared knowledge of astronomy which was used for navigation and Prometheus gave knowledge of fire.

So the legend was never true. Prometheus was old, but not conclusively the World’s Oldest Tree. And even if it was, it wouldn’t have mattered. But that’s not enough to break a legend’s spell.