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
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