I. The Flood

1. Probable Historical Basis
2. Common Mythical Elements
a. People have ìgone badî (or overpopulated the Earth)
b. God or gods decide to punish / rectify situation with ëNaturalí disaster
c. One ëjustí or ërighteousí man (or couple) is saved (ëthe Chosení)
 i. ëfirstí boat created or used (technology over natural onslaught)
d. Repopulation of the Earth with new, ëjustí race.
3. Greek Story:
a. Source: Ovid (written in LATIN), Metamorphoses, ìThe Changesî
b. Main Characters:
 i. Lycaon (ìbad guyî) changed into a WOLF
 ii. Deucalion: the son of Prometheus
 iii. Pyrrha: the daughter of Epimetheus and Pandora
c. The Oracle of Themis (ëgoddess of justiceî), ìbones of your Motherî
 i. Mother = Earth
 ii. Bones = Rocks (with dirt, hard bits, veins)
4. Can we find parallels in modern environmental concerns / fantasies?
 

II. Who Gives this Woman?  Corrupted Marriage Exchanges

1. War Starts as a Result of the Theft of a Woman (women are ëmovedí)
2. Paris and Helen: the Start of the Trojan War
a. Marriage of Peleus and Thetis
b. Eris = ëStrifeí
c. Juno = Hero (wife of Zeus / Jupiter)
d. Pallas = Athena (daughter of Zeus / Jupiter)
e. Venus = Aphrodite
3. Other Important Terms and Themes
a. Sea Travel / trade
b.  Xenia = ëguest-hostí bond
c. House of Atreus
 i. Menelaus, Agamemnon
 ii. Helen (wife of Menelaus)
 iii. Sparta
d. House of Priam
 i. Paris (= Alexander)
4.  The Birth of War in Herodotus: trade, sea travel, reciprocal theft. (compare Prometheus story!)  Women as the start of war between Men.