Warned by his father, Prometheus, Deucalion built an ark to survive the coming Bronze Age-ending flood that Zeus was sending to punish mankind for its wickedness. Deucalion and his wife, Pyrrha (daughter of Prometheus' brother Epimetheus and Pandora), survived for 9 days of flooding and then landed at Mt. Parnassus. All alone in the world they wanted company and were told by Themis that they should throw the bones of their mother behind them. They interpreted this mysterious instruction as meaning "throw stones over their shoulders onto mother earth," and did so. The stones Deucalion threw became men and those Pyrrha threw became women.
Deucalion and Pyrrha settled in Thessaly where they produced offspring the old-fashioned way. Their two sons were Hellen and Amphictyon. Hellen sired Aeolus (founder of the Aeolians), Dorus (founder of the Dorians), and Xuthus. Xuthus sired Achaeus (founder of the Achaeans) and Ion (founder of the Ionians).
