Deucalion
Deucalion survived Zeus's flood and repopulated the earth by throwing stones.
The Legend of Deucalion
Son of Prometheus and husband of Pyrrha, Deucalion survived the great flood that Zeus sent to destroy the wicked Bronze Age of mortals. Prometheus warned his son to build an ark, and the couple floated for nine days before landing on Mount Parnassus. The oracle of Themis at Delphi told them to throw the bones of their mother — meaning stones of Gaia, the earth. Deucalion's stones became men, Pyrrha's became women. They refounded humanity, and their son Hellen gave his name to the Hellenes. The flood echoes the punishments of Lycaon and Tantalus.
Parents
Prometheus and Pronoia
Children
Hellen
Symbols
Fun Fact
Parallels Noah and Utnapishtim — shared Near Eastern flood tradition.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Deucalion
🗡 herosurvival
Son of Prometheus who survived Zeus's great flood by building an ark on his father's advice, then repopulated the earth.
Pyrrha
🗡 herosurvival
Wife of Deucalion and daughter of Epimetheus who survived the great flood and helped repopulate the earth by throwing stones.
Perseus
🗡 heroHero who slew Medusa
The son of Zeus and Danae who beheaded Medusa, rescued Andromeda, and founded the Perseid dynasty of Mycenae.
Deucalion's Flood
💭 conceptflood, renewal
The Greek deluge myth in which Zeus destroyed corrupt humanity with a great flood, sparing only the pious Deucalion and Pyrrha who repopulated the earth with stones.
Amphiaraus
🗡 heroSeer-warrior swallowed by earth
Amphiaraus was a warrior-prophet who foresaw his death in the Seven Against Thebes but marched anyway, bound by his wife's betrayal.
Perseus
🗡 heroSlayer of Medusa, founder of Mycenae
Perseus was the demigod son of Zeus and Danaë who slew Medusa, rescued Andromeda, and founded the great city of Mycenae.
Cepheus
🗡 heroNone recorded
King of Aethiopia who nearly sacrificed his daughter Andromeda to a sea monster
Cadmus
🗡 heroFounder of Thebes
Cadmus was the Phoenician prince who founded Thebes, sowed dragon's teeth, and brought the alphabet from Phoenicia to Greece.
Peleus
🗡 heroheroism
King of Phthia, Argonaut, and father of Achilles who wrestled the shape-shifting sea goddess Thetis to win her as his bride.
Perseus
🗡 heroSlayer of Medusa, founder of Mycenae
The legendary hero who slew the Gorgon Medusa and rescued Andromeda from a sea monster. Perseus founded the great city of Mycenae.
Prometheus
🗡 heroBringer of fire and champion of humanity
Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity, for which Zeus chained him to a rock where an eagle devoured his liver daily — the archetypal rebel against divine authority.
Andromeda
🗡 heroPrincess chained to a rock, saved by Perseus
Andromeda was an Ethiopian princess chained to a sea cliff as sacrifice to a monster — rescued by Perseus, who petrified the beast with Medusa's head.