The Digital Iron Age
We All Need a Little Heroism, Everyday
Hesiod, was one of the earliest Greek poets. Living around the 8th century BC, Hesiod’s extant works like Theogony and Works and Days, are concerned with the origins of the gods, the cosmos, and the moral and practical aspects of life and provide a look into the beliefs of Greek civilization at the end of the period known as the Greek Dark Ages.
In particular, Hesiod’s Works and Days is notable for exploring the Five Ages of Man. This mythological framework describes the history of humanity in a series of progressively deteriorating ages. It gives us the idea of the metal ages, as in a golden age. This concept reflects the common human societal idea of development and the inevitable decline from a once ideal state. Hesiod claims there are the Five Ages, or stages of society, that represent distinct epochs, each with its own characteristics and moral qualities with a metal that symbolizes the era. Do these ages provide a lens through which we can examine the trajectory of civilizations, including our own? Is America in terminal, irreversible decline?
