Age of man - Age of Man PDF

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Francesca Maldari March 25th, 2020 Professor Farrell Analysis #1 Hesiod’s Age of Man During this time period, humans were living among the gods. This is when the Five Ages of Man were introduced. Hesiod wrote the poem of his Works and Days, upon the myth of Pandora and the Five Ages of Man. In the Ages of Man, Hesiods created the Five Ages that portrayed the theme of justice within each Age of Man creation myth. From each age, it is shown how individuals evolved over time. The first race introduced was the Golden Race of humans. During this time, they weren’t responsible for feeding themselves because the land provides nourishment for them, and meant they would age slower by maintaining a youthful character. “ Of how both gods and men began the same. The gods, who live to inform the storied crest, first fashioned a golden race of mortal men.” (Pg 45 lines 3-5) Humans associated with gods often in a peaceful manner plus in death, both crossed on peacefully transforming into guardians who fought against injustice and bestowed wealth and success to the living. “ Untouched by work or sorrow, Vile maturity never appeared, but always lively-limbed, off from all ills, they feasted happily. ’’ (Pg 45 lines 8-10). These mortals lived like gods, with no sorrows, free of care, never aging, always feasting, and dying as peacefully as if falling asleep. The second race introduced was the Silver Age, it is implied those during this age were lost. Unlike how the Golden Age aged slower, in the Silver Age, they lived shorter with days full of labor, deserting the gods and arrangement the previous age had. They were unwise and wild

during their brief time in the world and because of that, Zeus hid them away, ashamed of them. “The gods, who lived to inform the storied crest, subsequent fashioned a lesser, silver race of men: 1Unlike the god in stature or in mind. Once they were grown and reached their prime, they lived brief and anguished lives.” (Pg 45 lines 20-9) They were called spirits of the underworld that are inferior to the Gold but, still honored. Though given direction, they turned away from it and chose a path of the unknown, injuring each other like children on the playground. The Bronze Race is best characterized by violence and war. The people in this race are very strong and perform heroic soldiers, but they lack compassion and choose to surround themselves with death. This age of man is described as “full of power, and their hearts are flintyhard,” (Pg 46, line 38-40). Aside from being strong and good soldiers, there is not one positive trait attributed to this age of man. “They died by their own hands, and nameless, went to Hades’ chilly house.” (Pg 45-46). These lines suggest that they died because they killed themselves off, which led Zeus to create a new age of man, the demi-gods. The fifth and final race is the Iron Race, also known as the Race of Heroes or DemiGods. This is a time when there is peace after the storm of the Bronze race. The characteristic is starting to begin a new fight against evil. This seems almost like a rebirth of new life, starting over as a new person. Heroes, or demi-gods, can be identified as mortals, live and die as such, but choose a life of evil and good. “ The son of Kronos gave the others life and homes, apart from mortals, at Earth's edge. And there they live a carefree life, besides the whirling ocean, on the Blessed Isles.” (Pg 42, line 12) This line portrays the beauty and truth about the lives before evil, filled with purity on the Blessed Isles. Generally, this age demonstrates how life can be in virtue, and not always in clarity reveals the morality in everyone’s life, as evil sometimes is 1

involved. In conclusion, justice is a theme in the Five Ages of Man because the passage shows continuous regression, mapping the lives of men as descending from a state of original innocence to evil, with one exception for the Age of Heroes. Justice befalls, those that commit sin, those who provoke the rage of Zeus will be disciplined. Those who withheld from injustice and were pleasing to Zeus were rewarded. It has been noted that from scholars how Hesiod to weave the mythic and also the realistic together. It composed a story backing an ancient tale that may possibly be referenced and learned from....