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