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The Greek myth of the Deucalion's deluge |
creating the humans (people)
One time people had become so bad that Zeus decided to destroy them with a cataclysm. Then Titan Prometheus, Atlas's brother, advised his son Deucalion to build an ark so as to save himself. Deucalion made an ark and put in it all the necessary. When it started pouring, he and his wife Pyrra, who was the daughter of Epimetheus (the other brother of Atlas) and Pandora, got into the ark.
Zeus poured rain without a stop. Water filled rivers, which flooded and swept away everything, things and souls. Valleys became lakes and cities sank and got lost under the water. In the end only some mountain peaks could be seen above the sea. The ark of Deucalion and Pyrra sailed for nine days and nights. Then it sat on the top of Mount Parnassus or as others say Mount Othrys in Thessaly or Athos in Chalkidiki or Dodona.
When it finally stopped raining and water disappeared Deucalion and Pyrra got out of the ark and after stepping again on earth safe and sound sacrificed to Zeus to please him for having survived. "God" accepted their offer and sent Hermes as a messenger to ask for anything they wanted. Then Deucalion and Pyrra asked from the "god" to create new people.
"God" did not deny their request according to his instructions Deucalion and Pyrra covered their faces, walked around, picked up stones threw them behind them without looking. When the stones of Deucalion fell down men came out of earth and the stones of Pyrra fell down women came out of the earth. So new people were born from the stones of earth who had nothing to do with the real offspring of Deucalion and Pyrra. Deucalion and Pyrra had their own children as well; Hellen, Amphyction, Protogeneia, Melantho, Thyia (or Aethea) and Pandora II.
Their first-born son, Hellen, became the leader of the Greeks. Amphyction was said to have governed Athens after Cranaus. Deucalion himself is said to have become the king of Phthia a region in Thessaly. Thessaly was once named Pyrra after the queen, wife of Deucalion. The founder of the Greeks, Hellen and Orsis had three sons, Dorus, Xuthus and Aeolus the first leaders of the Greeks. Xuthus reigned in Peloponnese and had two sons, Achaeus and Ion, after which Acheians and Ionians were named. Aeolus reigned in Thessaly and the citizens were named Aeolians after him. Dorus and his people, Dorians, settled in places east of Parnassus. Amphyction was the father of Locrus, who founded Locris.
Historical analysis - comments
From mythology we conclude that Deucalion, son of Prometheus, brother of Atlas was directly offspring of Titans and Atlanteans. It seems that he was the skipper of Atlanteans and when the cataclysm took place he sailed in the water of Thessaly and saved his family and crew of the boat-ark. His story became a myth and he was registered as a mythic figure. But documents want him to be the first king of Thessaly and founder, father of Hellen after whom Greece and the Greeks were named.
So Deucalion and his on people were not the only who were saved by the terrible cataclysm, according to the Greek mythology.
But to which cataclysm does the Greek mythology refer? Is it the universal cataclysm which according to Plato took place around 96000 BC and Atlantis was sank in one day and one night? This date is confirmed by the traditions of other ancient people as well. Or could have been another smaller cataclysm around 7000 BC or even 5000 BC as many scholars admit during which the remaining part of Atlantis sank as well?
If this second version is true, then this means that Atlantis did not sank quickly (in one day and night) but gradually and this is where Plato makes a mistake.
The existence of many cataclysms is referred by Plato in the dialogue "Timaeus" (22CD and 23B). In these chapters Plato mentions a part of the conversation between Solon and the clergy of Egypt. We cite these chapters (22 ABCD, 23B):
"…Once when Solon wanted to make them (the clergy) talk about old events, he started narrating things that were considered to be ancient in Athens. He talked about Phoroneus who was named the first, Niove and what happened after the cataclysm. He also narrated about Neucalion and Pyrra, how they survived after the cataclysm, for their offspring and he tried to define how many years had passed since then and set the dates. An old man from the clergy told him then:…People have been destroyed many times and they will be for many reasons. The greatest destruction will be because of fire and cataclysms and the minor because of other numerous reasons. For example the tradition that exists in your country that once Phaethon, the son of Sun, after harnessing his father's chariot since he could not follow his father and setting on fire everything on earth and himself hit by a thunder was killed. This is the myth whereas the truth is the variation (note: change of circular move) of the celestial bodies rotating earth that causes destruction for many years from fire, creatures on earth…".
And below the Egyptian says to Solon (23B):
"So whatever you previously said, Solon, about your traditions about generations, differ slightly from kids fairytales. Because you remember only one cataclysm of the earth (note: the cataclysm of Deucalion), whereas there were many older ones…."
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