Ages of Man

The Ages of Man are the historical stages of human existence according to Greek mythology and its subsequent Roman interpretation.

In the two accounts that survive from Ancient Greece and Rome, this degradation of the human condition over time is indicated symbolically with metals of successively decreasing value (but increasing hardness).

The Greek poet Hesiod (between 750 and 650 BC) outlined his Five Ages in his poem Works and Days (lines 109–201).

In the Silver Age, Jupiter introduces the seasons, and men consequently learn the art of agriculture and architecture.

Finally, in the Iron Age, men demarcate nations with boundaries; they learn the arts of navigation and mining; they are warlike, greedy, and impious.