thout an end, recognizes the notion of the age in which we live coming to an end, along with humankind. Certain evangelists are firm believers in this notion, even now. A scientific theory has been put forward that the universe has been expanding more and more slowly since the Big Bang, and will eventually begin to contract until it disappears altogether. It is natural for humankind to wonder if the Earth and our species are, in fact, finite. In the story of Baucis and Philemon, this idea of the end of humanity is present with the destruction of everybody save for those who had shown hospitality to Jupiter and Mercury. The manner of apocalypse in this story is also a popular one a flood. Floods are a widespread metaphor in various regions and eras. Evidently, the most well known flood in Western civilization is the Bible story involving Noah and the Ark. However, legends of a flood can be found in the folklore of the Middle East, China, India, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. The legend upon which the tale of Noah is based actually originated in Mesopotamia. The Mesopotamian flood myth appeared in the Epic of Gilgamesh (one of the first literary classics), the narrative regarding the adventures of a hero-king of Sumer. In this version of the story, Noahs counterpart, Utnapishtim, is the narrator of the tale. This flood myth likely has roots in truth, as excavations have led archaeologists to believe that a number of serious floods occurred there between 4000 and 2000 B.C. This story later spread to Canaan and was eventually reshaped into the story of Noah. In the 5th century BC, the Greek poet Pindar relates a myth in which Zeus destroys the Earth, allowing only King Deucalion and his family to survive. In China the flood myth has always been seen as an impediment to agriculture. A traditional Chinese myth recounts the experiences of a savior-hero named Yu the Great, who successfully dredged the land to provide outlets t...
