The Flood 洪水

TheFlood

TowardstheendoftheAgeofBronzethehumanworldbecameverycruel.

Mengrewhungry,impoliteandungodly.Neitherrightnorlawwasrespectedanylonger,andtheruleofhospitalitywasforgotten.Dressedupinhumanform,ZeusvisitedArcadiaandThessaly,anddislikedthedeadlywrongsofmen.Hedecidedtocleartheearthofthemall.WithouthesitationhereleasedtherainysouthwindandcalledupontheheartlessPoseidontohelp.Soonthewholeworldsankinavastocean,andtheentirehumanracedisappearedintheunheardofflood,allbuttwopoorThessalians.

Thesewereanoldchildlesscouple,kindandfaithfulandcontentedwithlife.ThemanwascalledDeucalionandhiswifePyrrha.SonofPrometheus,Deucalionhadbeenwarnedbeforehandbyhisfatherofthecomingfloodandmadehimselfahugechest.WhentheroaringfloodcamethecouplehidthemselvesinitandfloatedforninedaysuntilittouchedlandagainonMtParnassus.

Theonceactiveworldpresentedafrighteningsight.Itwasalldeathandruin.Feelinglonelyandunsafe,theoldcoupleprayedtothegodsforhelp.Asageinstructedthemtocastthebonesoftheirmotherabout.ThesonofthewiseTitan,havingguessedthetruemeaningofthemysteriouscommand,startedthrowingstonesbehindhim.Amiracleoccurred.Thestonesthatthemancastbecamemen;thestonesthatthewomanthrewturnedintowomen.Sincethen,peopleappearedonthelandagain.TheHeroicAgehadbegun.

洪水

到了青铜期末代,人类世界变得非常残忍,人类也变得贪婪、粗鲁且不虔诚.公理与法律不再受到尊重.殷勤好客的风俗被遗忘.宙斯装扮成凡人的样子查看了阿卡迪亚和色萨利两地.他不喜欢凡人极度的罪恶,决心将他们从地球上铲除.他毫不犹豫地释放了夹雨的南风,并召来冷酷无情的波塞冬协助他.很快整个人类世界被淹没在一片汪洋之中.除了两名恭顺的色萨利人幸免于难外,人类被史无前例的洪水吞噬.

这对老夫妻没有孩子.他们善良、虔诚、对生活心满意足.丈夫是普罗米修斯的儿子,名叫丢卡利翁,妻子名为皮拉.丢卡利翁的父亲事先就警告他会爆发洪水,因此,他制了个巨大的箱子.当咆哮的洪水涌来时,夫妻俩就躲藏在箱中,这样漂泊了九天,最终漂到了帕那萨斯山.

曾经生机勃勃的大地呈现出恐怖的景象.死亡与毁灭四处可见.老夫妻深感孤独和危险.他们就向上帝祈祷,乞求帮助.一位圣人指示他们把母亲的遗骨掷向四周.这位聪明的泰坦的后代,马上悟出了这个神秘指示所隐含的意义.他们开始将石头抛向身后.奇迹出现了.男人抛出的石头变成了男人,女人抛的则变成了女人.从此人类再次在陆地上出现,英雄时代来临.