We read about the division of our history in a three-age system, the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age, or Darwin’s five theories of evolution. But there is more to the story, both Hesiod and Ovid also have a narrative to share. This is the story of mankind, divided by the ages of metals.

Five Ages of Man

Hesiod inspired by the Muses delivers us the story of the ages of man in his poem Works and Days. The first Five Ages of Man traces the lineage of mankind in some kind of chronology. It’s the story of the decline of humanity, starting with the Golden Age when humans used to live in perfect harmony among the Gods, and concludes with what is supposed to be our current era, the Iron Age, an age of horror, misery, and wars.

Golden Age – The first period of man ruled by Kronos, known as Saturn by the Romans. Humans lived among the gods, they lived like gods, not having to work to feed themselves, streams of milk and nectar flowed, and honey was distilled from the oak. It was a period of eternal Spring, in which people aged backward, and although they died, it was as if they were falling asleep to later become daimones who roamed the Earth. There was no law and no fear of punishment. There were no cities, no swords or helmets, no war, this was the race of good and nobleman, a race with no knowledge of suffering.

Silver Age – After Kronos’ fall by the hand of his successor, the world was ruled by the Olympian god Zeus. This new generation of man was created as inferior to the gods in appearance and wisdom, less noble than the race of the Golden Age. Men in the Silver age lived for one hundred years under the care of their mothers to then later live as adults for a very short time, in suffering. As some sort of rebellion or hubris, men would not serve the immortals, they wouldn't honor the gods. Zeus angered by this behavior, caused them to be destroyed. When the Silver race of Man died, they became “blessed spirits of the underworld”.

Bronze Age – Zeus created this third-generation from ash trees. This was a race of terrible and strong men in no way equal to the race of the Silver Age. Lovers of Ares, the war was their purpose and passion, their hearts were hard as adamant, and their armor and houses were made of bronze. This generation of men was destroyed by the flood in the days of Prometheus' son Deucalion and Pyrrha. Other versions tell the story of how they were wiped out when they killed each other with their own hands. When the bronze men died, they dwell in the "dank house of Hades"

Heroic Age – For the fourth age Zeus created a nobler and more righteous race, it is the only age that improved upon the age it followed. This was a god-like race of heroes called demigods, strong and heroic. To Hesiod this was a historical period, referring to the stories told by the poet Homer. After death, some went to the Underworld, others went to the Islands of the Blessed [Nēsoi Makarōn] where the earth bears grain and fruit thrice a year.

Iron Age – This is Hesiod’s Age, an age of desolation, destruction, and pain and in it, all modern men were created by Zeus as evil and selfish. Violence and unbridled love of profit are what reigns among humans. Modesty, truth, and faith left the Earth. Because of the lack of shame and indignation, humankind would destroy itself. Mankind will be forsaken by the Gods and Goddesses, there will be no help against evil, and Zeus is set to return one day to destroy this race.

Ovid's Four Ages

Written many years later after Hesiod's Five Ages of Man, the Roman poet Ovid tells a similar myth of Four Ages in his Metamorphoses. Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Iron, this chronology starts after previously talking about the creation of the world and the creation of first men. Ovid believed in a theory of evolution, though devolution would be more accurate for this story.

Similar to Hesiod’s, justice and peace defined the Golden Age, people lived in peace and blissful harmony with nature. There was no law, every man worshipped faith and righteousness by his own will. The earth provided everything ever needed, humanity was perceived as an ideal state or utopia.

“No punishment they knew, no fear; they read No penalties engraved on plates of bronze; No suppliant throng with dread beheld their judge; No judges had they then, but lives secure.”

Then comes the Silver Age, Saturn is defeated and exiled to the dark Underworld by Jove (Jupiter) along with other Titans. Jove ends the Eternal Spring and “immediately the olde And auncient Spring did Jove abridge, and made therof anon, Foure seasons: Winter, Sommer, Spring, and Autumne off and on”

Men learned the art of agriculture, for the first time paradise is no more. Mankind had to seek shelter under caves to keep themselves warm and safe during the wintertime.

Next was the Bronze Age, violent and inclined to arms, but they did not commit crimes against the gods. There is not much more to say about this age, that’s all the information we get from Ovid.

“After that, The third age was of bronze, more savage in nature and quicker to horrid arms, not wicked, however.”

There is no Heroic Age in this story. Ovid may have been attracted to the idea of comparing each age to metal and decided that the Heroic Age and Bronze Age from Hesiod’s Works and Days could be merged.

Finally, the last was the Iron Age. This is the time when great evil prevailed, people became corrupt, warlike, greedy, and selfish. According to Ovid, all things went wrong, violence, envy, pride, and wicked lust are all around, faith and truth are gone. Earth was a realm of murder and mayhem, the immortals fled away and there was no help for mankind anymore. Ovid then tells the story of how humanity was destroyed by a flood, Deucalion and Pyrrha were the only survivors.

Comparing both Hesiod and Ovid:

In the Golden Age Kronos (Saturn) rules the world

Humans live a joyful life

Earth of itself provides everything

Making once reached the stage of death, they become some kind of guardian spirits.

In the Silver Age Zeus (Jupiter) gains control of the world

Mankind is inferior to the previous age

In the Bronze Age , mankind is violent and savage

They love war and fighting

The Iron Age is the last and worst age of humans

It is an Age opposite to the Golden Age

Humans suffer continuous toil, pain, and sorrow

Humans do every kind of wicked deed

Saint Jerome (Hieronymus) associated these stories with historical timelines, a chronology that aligns our current events to Hesiod and Ovid Ages of Man:

Golden Age ca. 1710 to 1674 BC

Silver Age 1674 to 1628 BC

Bronze Age 1628 to 1472 BC

Heroic Age 1460 to 1103 BC

Hesiod's Iron Age was considered as still ongoing by Saint Jerome in the 4th century AD

Beyond Hesiod and Ovid

The Ages of Man goes beyond Hesiod and Ovid narratives. According to Proclus, we can find a short story about Orpheus the Theologian dividing the ages in three races, mankind being present in each one of these ages.

The Golden Age, governed by Phanes

The Silver Age, which Kronos ruled

The Titanic Age, which Zeus assembled from the Titanic limbs.

In the Judeo-Christian religion, we also find a similar story, metaphorically speaking. Daniel interpreted a dream of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon. The king had a dream of a statue made of four metals, each metal representing four successive kingdoms beginning with Babylon.

“31 Your Majesty looked, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly, and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay.” (Daniel 2:31-33 New International Version)

Following the Hindu cosmology, we can also read about four ages:

The Golden Age (Krta Yuga) last about 1,728,00 earthly years. During this time dharma is seen as a bull standing on all four legs.

The Treta age is about 1,296,000 earthly years. During this time the bull is envisioned standing on three legs.

The Dvapara lasts half as long as the golden age, about 864,000 earthly years, and dharma is standing on two legs.

The Kali Yuga age, our current age, and the worst of all ages, dharma is standing on only one leg. This age is supposed to last 432,000 years and it becomes progressively worse with the pass of the years. According to traditional Hindu estimations, this age began around 3102 BCE.

The separation or division in ages is a very common element when reading Mythology and Religion around the world. Similar concepts can also be found in The Buddhist “Three Ages”, the Mesoamerican “Five Suns” and even the JRR Tolkien's "Four Ages".