Prometheus and Pandora:

1) Prometheus makes man from primal earth (seeded with sky) in the age of Cronos

2) Quarrel with Zeus begins at feast of Mecone--trick of sacrifice

3) Zeus destroys mankind with 'drought of fire' (previously fire was easily acquired)

4) Prometheus saves mankind with theft of fire (=technology)

5) Zeus cripples man with Pandora =inverted sacrifice (Prometheus punished with bondage etc).

possibly linked as 6th stage) Man proliferates arrogant toward gods. Zeus sends the Flood.

possible 7th) Man is saved by Deucalion, son of Prometheus

Ages of Man (Hesiod):

1) Man begins in Golden Age, created by unidentified gods (earth-born?) companion of gods, in the age of Cronos.

2) Golden Age ends (through no offense?) covered by Earth, become benevolent spirits.

3) Silver Age created by unidentified gods, selfish and quarrelsome.

4) Silver-Age Man destroyed by Zeus, for refusing to honor gods.

5) Bronze-Age Man made by Zeus, 'sprung from ash trees'; devoted to war; character shaped by bronze weapons and tools.

6) Bronze Men destroy themselves at war.

[7) Hesiod add Age of Heroes, as a brief reversal of the cycle; doublet for end of Bronze-Age]

8) Iron-Age Man made by Zeus, even more warlike, as their weapons the more deadly; doomed to destruction

Atrahasis (Babylonian)

1) Worker gods rebel against Enlil and burn their tools; Enki and (birth goddess) Nintur make Man from primal clay and blood of rebel god We-e.

2)Man multiplies rapidly, for 1200 years. Enlil sends plague to destroy Man.

3) Enki teaches Atrahasis worship of Namtar, thus saves Mankind

4) Again Man multiplies 1200 years; Enlil sends drought.

5) Enki teaches worship of Adad (rainstorm), saves Mankind.

6) Again Man multiplies 1200 years; Enlil embargoes all goods --> famine.

7) Enki releases the fishes, saves Man.

8) Again Man proliferates; Enlil sends Flood.

9) Enki warns Atrahasis to build a boat; to placate Enlil, Enki and Nintur devise population control (barrenness and birth-demon).

 

'Eridu Genesis' (Sumerian)

1) Man is created by the four great gods; presumably fashioned by Enki and Earth (Ninhursag/Nintur).

2) Agriculture and Civilization lead to huge population growth.

3) Enlil is angered by the crowed uproar, persuades the assembly of gods to exterminate Man with a great Flood.

4) Enki teaches Ziusudra to build the great boat, saving family and animal species.

5) Ziusudra rewarded with eternal life in Dilmun

Hebrew Genesis

1) God creates Man/Adam (=clay) the 6th day, gives him dominion over other species, bids him to multiply.

2) God makes Woman/Eve from Adam's rib (=Ninti in Sumerian tale of 'Enki in Dilmun'?)

3) Woman leads to Man's fall/exile from paradise, for eating from the Tree of Knowledge

4)When men become numerous, Sons of God mate with the daughters of Men  (begetting a race of Giants?).

5) God angered at 'wicked doings of Men' (=age of semi-divine Giants/Heroes?), sends the Flood.

6) At God's warning Noah builds the Ark, saves family and animal species.

Egyptian Cataclysm (Book of the Divine Cow):

1) Man is made from the tears of Amun-Re.

2) Still in the Age when Re rules mankind, the god learns that Man is 'plotting evil plans' against Him.

3) Nu counsels Re to use the 'Eye of Re' to destroy mankind.

4) Eye of Re takes the form of his daughter, Hathor (originally Cow-formed)

5) Hathor transformed to Sakhmet, the lionness, slaughters mankind, wading in blood.

6) While Sakhmet rests, Re reconsiders (takes pity on his own creatures?); Re advises his high priest at Heliopolis to save Mankind by Flooding the region with Red Beer.

7) Sakhmet drinks the Blood-Beer and is thus incapacitated. Mankind is preserved

8) Re abdicates, leaves Thoth to instruct Mankind.