Classical Inquiries | Cataclysm and Ecpyrosis, two symmetrical actions of Zeus as sky-god


In his most recent posting on Classical Inquiries, Gregory Nagy explores, in the general context of Greek mythmaking, the actions of Zeus that have catastrophic affect when inflicted upon humanity:

The question is: what happens when humanity itself is threatened with either flooding or conflagration on a cosmic scale? To express such cosmic afflictions in Greek terms, I have in mind here situations where all of humanity is being threatened with either cataclysm or ecpyrosis. So, to rephrase the question: what happens when Zeus or the gods in general choose to afflict humans with the alternatives of cataclysm or ecpyrosis? …

Continue reading the posting of 2016.05.19 on Classical Inquiries.

“The Great Day of His Wrath,” by John Martin (1789–1854), at the Tate Britain. Photograph in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
“The Great Day of His Wrath,” by John Martin (1789–1854), at the Tate Britain. Photograph in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.