In a poem,'Works and Days', Hesiod speaks of five races of man. The first was the Golden race who lived at the time of Cronus. They were like gods, living free from misery,pain and strife. Ageless but not immortal, they died easily in their sleep, after which they became pure spirits, inhabiting the upper levels, and able to protect men.
After them came a feebler Silver race who were childish and failed to honour the gods. These, too, passed away, but became the blessed spirits of the Underworld. Next came the Bronze race, made from ash trees. They were fearsome and strong, wearing bronze armour, living in bronze houses and using bronze implements. But they were so bellicose that they ended up killing each other, whereupon they descended wholesale into Hades.
After this came the Hero race. These were demi-gods and included all the great Greek heroes.Some died normally, but others like Heracles, were taken to the islands of the Blessed, which were ruled by Cronus. The last race of men was the present 'Iron'one.This was the most pitious race,but at least it could call on the heroes and the beneficent spirits of the upper and lower regions.
Hesiod, however, was not a creative artist like Homer,but an organizer. His work in collecting and systematizing the myths is invaluable, but some of the accounts contradict each other and in some places, too, he indulges in some personal-sounding homilies...
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