Reading Response

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with this one, as it is tersely described and the only memorable thing about them is that they destroyed themselves with their warlike tendencies.

The Age of Heroes is a departure from the motif of decline, and would probably be why Ovid left it out, as it’s a smoother narrative without this age. This is the age where most of the significant deeds happen, all the named heroes and demigods appear and great actions are done. Those from this age are rewarded by being sent to the Islands of the Blessed ruled over by Cronus and attended by honor and glory.

The Age of Iron is the last, and the most despicable, because they pick up the bad habits of all the other ages (besides the golden age, which left no bad habits to pick up). Hesiod himself is part of this age, and his misanthropy shines through with this description. Hesiod goes on to say that Zeus will destroy the fifth race eventually, and do so when “they are born with gray hair on their temples” (Morford pg. 92). It’s not clear whether Hesiod is describing his current time, or what will be going on when Zeus destroys the fifth set of mortals, but he describes a civilization which is morally bankrupt (from the greeks perspective maybe?), where even the gods of shame and righteous retribution (Aidos and Nemesis) abandon them. This leaves the reader wondering how bad the next set of mortals would be if that’s how the current set is left off.