Thursday, September 22, 2016

Flood Comparison: Epic of Gilgamesh vs. Greek




        Another flood story that is similar to the story in the Epic of Gilgamesh is the greek flood story. Zeus (the main god of the Greeks) sent a flood to destroy the men of the Bronze Age. Deucalion was advised by his father Prometheus to build a chest. Except for a few men who escaped to high mountains, all men perished. Deucalion and his wife Pyrrha (daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora), landed on Parnassus after floating in the chest for nine days and nights. Because they were wicked, the first race of people was completely destroyed. Deucalion survived due to his prudence and piety. He also linked the first and second race of men. He loaded his wives and children and all animals onto an ark. The animals came to him, and with the help of God, the animals were friendly throughout the flood. The flood waters escaped down a chasm opened in Hierapolis. This Greek flood story is similar to the one in the Epic of Gilgamesh for several reasons. In this story, Deucalion gets advised by his father Prometheus to build a chest, similar to how Utnapisthim gets advised by the god EA to build a boat before the flood. The stories are also similar because all of mankind gets destroyed except Utnapishtim survives in the Epic of Gilgamesh flood story and Deucalion survives in the Greek one. These flood stories are different because the flood lasts for nine days and nine nights in the Greek story one and six days and six nights in the Epic of Gilgamesh story. The stories are also different because Utnapishtim was granted immortality because he survived the flood, unlike Deucalion. In addition, Utnapishtim gets a warming about the flood from a god, while Deucalion gets the warning from his father. 

Source: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/flood-myths.html#Greek

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