By Lieutenant General (Ret.) K. H. Konstantinidis
Author – Member of the Hellenic Society of Writers
Introduction
Attica has suffered from great floods since the most ancient times. The difference is that in those remote ages only three major floods were recorded in Greek tradition, whereas today flooding phenomena occur even after ordinary rainfall.
According to Greek Archaeological tradition, three great floods are mentioned in the history and mythology of Greece: the Flood of Ogygus, the Flood of Dardanus, and the Flood of Deucalion.
1. The Flood of Ogygus
The first great flood occurred during the reign of Ogygus and therefore bears his name. At that time, Attica was inundated and its inhabitants suffered a terrible fate: some were drowned, while others—those who managed to escape in time—abandoned the region.
This catastrophe is attributed to the overflowing of the River Cephissus, which flooded Attica and Boeotia [Pausanias, Boeotica V.1 and VIII; Scholia on Apollonius III.1177, etc.].
It is also said that, during that period, an extraordinary celestial phenomenon appeared involving the disk of Venus, as its diameter, shape, colour, and orbit were believed to have changed. For this reason, Freret argued that the unusual celestial body was not Venus itself but a comet. In his relevant study, he maintained that it was the same comet that appeared in 1680 [Castor apud Augustine, Pol. IX; Commentaries of the Academy, Vol. X, p. 357].
It has been suggested that this comet passed extremely close to the Earth or that fragments of it struck our planet, creating a gigantic tidal wave which caused an unimaginable catastrophe. According to one interpretation, this natural disaster led to the disappearance of the Pre-Diluvian Aegean Civilization.
The Flood of Ogygus is placed in the Eighth Age, approximately 25,000 years before the present era. According to tradition, it occurred during the 37th year of the reign of Ogygus.
The destruction was so extensive that a great historical gap followed until the age of Cecrops, who ruled much later. During the post-flood period, very little is known about what happened in Attica.
Ogygus had as his wife Thebe, daughter of Zeus, and together they had Eleusinus and the Praxidicae. Some traditions also mention Cadmus, a reference that has caused disagreement among those who support a Phoenician origin connected with the Gephyraean Phoenicians; nevertheless, according to this tradition, he is considered unquestionably Greek.
It is very likely that Ogygus was also king of Boeotia [Eusebius, Chronicon; Theophilus apud Autolycus III.399].
Eleusinus founded the city of Eleusis and settled there after the flood. Who could have imagined, however, the fate that time would bring upon his city because of the reckless concentration of industries and the indifference of successive governments toward this sacred place of Gaia-Mother (Demeter)?
There was also another city called Eleusis, as well as a city named Athens in Boeotia, near Lake Copais. According to tradition, these settlements were swallowed by the lake when a great flood occurred during the reign of Cecrops.
Τhe Flood of Dardanus
According to Virgil and Plato, Dardanus was the son of Corythus and originated from Italy. Corythus, however, is mentioned as an Arcadian and is often identified or confused with Zeus; therefore, according to this tradition, Dardanus is considered to have been a son of Zeus.
Pausanias also mentions a deme of the Tegeans called Corytheis. It should be noted that the customs, gods, names, and language of the Trojans contained Pelasgian elements, similar to those of the Arcadians.
Regarding this flood, tradition tells us that a great inundation occurred, covering the plains of Arcadia. The mountains were no longer sufficient to sustain all the inhabitants; therefore, only Dymas remained there with part of the population.
Dardanus and Iasion, taking with them the remaining Arcadians, crossed over to Samothrace, where they founded a temple dedicated to the Great Gods. However, because Samothrace was unable to support them due to its barren nature, Iasion remained there with some of the inhabitants, while Dardanus continued to Asia with the rest.
The genealogical traditions also agree with this account, since Dardanus was one generation later than Pallas and married the daughter of Pallas. From the lineage of Dardanus to the generation of Hector, seven generations intervened.
Therefore, Dardanus settled in Asia long before the Trojan War and is considered the ancestor of the Trojans, who, according to this tradition, had Greek origins before undergoing later cultural and ethnic transformations.
The Flood of Dardanus is placed approximately around 9000 BC.
Commentary
At that time, the great floods were the work of natural forces. Today, however, humanity itself, through its choices and actions, is leading the planet toward an approaching climate catastrophe, which may prove equally devastating, or even more destructive, than the great floods of the past.
We have moved away from the principle of moderation and have been led into excess. Instead of cultivating human beings capable of living in harmony with nature, ecosystems, and the other species of the Earth, we have chosen a path of continuous exploitation and overconsumption.
According to ancient Greek thought, after Hubris inevitably comes Ate — the blindness of the mind that leads to destruction. Today, instead of recognizing our own responsibility, we blame nature because it supposedly “punishes” us, while refusing to change our way of life.
Nature can no longer withstand the continuous burden placed upon the environment: the rapid increase in energy consumption, pollution caused by all kinds of chemicals and waste, the destruction of ecosystems, and the constant expansion of human activity, as if the entire planet were the exclusive possession of humanity.
And yet, instead of reconsidering its course, humankind continues to invest in wars, to manufacture increasingly destructive weapons, to develop new energy-consuming systems, and to postpone environmental protection for the future.
Perhaps, in the end, modern humanity still resembles Epimetheus more than Prometheus: learning only after disaster has already occurred and gaining wisdom through its own tragedies.
(6/8/2026)
Lieutenant General (Ret.) K. H. Konstantinidis
Author – Member of the Hellenic Society of Writers
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