The Myth of Ages

Go Mules!

Standard Hellenic Belief?

• Heroes• Ordinary

Mortals

Hesiod’s Degenerating Cycle

• Golden• Silver• Bronze• (Heroes)• Iron

Biblical Version

• Daniel• Nebuchadnezzar

Hindu Ages

• Satya/Krita Yuga

• Treta Yuga• Dwapura Yuga• Kali Yuga

Zoroastrian Ages

• Zarathustra• Zoroaster

Ahura Mazdah- Lord Wisdom

• Dream Vision

• Tree of Life

• Gold, Silver, Steel, Iron Alloy

Golden Age

• Kronos as King• Made By Titans

or Olympians?• Godlike Life• No Aging• Toil-free Crop• Women?

• Pietro da Cortona

End of the Golden Age

• Hypnos & Thanatos• Benevolent Guardian Spirits

Silver Age

• Abrupt Deterioration• Made by Olympians• 100 year childhood• Brief adolescence &

adulthood• Toil for Food

End of Silver Age

• Crimes• Impiety• Zeus• “Mortal Blessed

Below”

• Lucas Cranach

Bronze Age

• Ares• Hearts of Adamant• Ash-trees• Monstrous Bodies?• Bronze Armor,

Houses, Tools• “No eaters of Corn”• No honor after death

Age of Heroes

• Interruption!• “Made” by

Zeus et al.• Righteous,

noble

Death of the Heroes

• Theban Cycle

• Trojan Cycle

Hades

Isles of the Blessed

Egyptian Field of Offering, Field of Reeds

Iron Age• Hesiod’s

Age• Another to

come?• Toil,

Distress, God-given Troubles

• Mix of Good & Evil

End of Iron Age?• Degenerate Race: children born with

gray hair.• No family resemblance - ?• No spirit of hospitality • No friendship• No fraternal feelings...(still male-

centered)• No "honor thy father and mother"...

(mother still the only woman around)

Signs of End Times• Breakdown of virtues which hold family

and society together.• Might is right...Fist-law - Zeus as king?• Honor for criminal & miscreant, • No regard for truthful, worthy, righteous

man.• Lies & False Oaths of villain

triumph over honest man.

• End Near???

Hesiod and Perses

• Lies• False Oaths• Loss of Brotherly

Love• Triumph of

villainous Perses over honest Hesiod