Ovid Hesiod Ages Of Man

Answer. In his legendary work of Metamorphoses, the renowned Roman poet Ovid shared his views over the gradually evolving stages of the human growth model, generally termed as Ages of Man. As per Ovid, these stages represent the various evolutionary ages of mankind, as a myth.
• Golden Age: Marked by excessive peace and judiciously poised era, this age is termed Golden as man was not aware of navigation techniques and only dedicated his efforts towards setting up pre-agriculture. The era was marked by absence of any other art but pre-agriculturist skills.
• Silver Age: This era was marked by Jupiter blessing the humans with knowledge about seasons and agriculture practices. Thus the focus of man was shifted to architecture of lodging and
using seasons to cultivate agriculture lands.
• Bronze Age: The development of weapons and warfare techniques is said to be the prime attainment by man in the Bronze Age.
• Iron Age: The age, as symbolized by rusty and bucolic usage if iron, explains the expansion beyond geographical limits by using navigation techniques.
Further, exploitation of natural resources like minerals through mining activities resulted in making humans more greedy and impious. This age is assumed to continue till date.
In comparison with Greek poet Hesiod’s description of stages of humanity, the following differences are observed in Ovid’s outlook towards ages of mankind.
• The Hesiod’s description of ages involves the basic four ages of Golden, Silver, Bronze and Iron Age, as described by Ovid. However, prior to Iron Age, the Hesiod’s work elicits an age referred as Heroic Age. This age is assumed to comprise of heroes and demigods like Achilles, who fought epic battles like Trojan war.
• The Golden age in Hesiod’s work is defined to be the rule of Omnipotent Greek god Cronos and created humans were made by gods. So this era was marked with humans and Gods co-existing in peace.
• The Silver age is described by Hesiod to be an era when Cronos’ son Zeus ruled earth and heavens. Those men who sought shelter in Zeus’s pity survived and those who refused worshipping the gods were punished by Zeus for being
impious.

2. What does Apollo want from Daphne in Ovid's version of this myth? Why does she refuse him? Does this story have a happy ending? What does Ovid's version of this myth suggest about his view of the relationship between humans and gods?
Answer: In his Metamorphoses Ovid explains the era when the earth was victimized a giant venomous serpent, who was later killed by Apollo by his arrow. Later, Pythian Games were organized in remembrance of Apollo’s valorous act. The winners of the games were crowned with oak leaves, remarked as Laurels . The ‘Laurel’ owes its importance to Daphne’s story which is narrated next in Ovid’s work. A quest between Cupid and Apollo, regarding vulnerability of Apollo towards love arrows, Cupid threw his love arrows over Apollo.
Consequently, Apollo fell into love with Daphne and started pursuing her. However, Daphne, who was also hit by another arrow, avoided Apollo and sought divine radiance to turn herself into a Laurel. Thus the story of Apollo and Daphne ended in a tragic way and testified gullibility of even Gods to human emotions . The relationship between Gods and Humans is exemplified by this story which later paves the way for the consequent existence of many demigods in the Heroic era , who were result of mating between Gods and
humans.

3. How Ovid treats the idea that Rome is destined to last forever? Is he being ironic? How does he view Augustus' role? Support your discussion with specific references Metamorphoses.
Answer. Ovid had the opinion that Romans were aware of their historical connection with their evolution and the Greeks. He always embraced the notion that the Romans will exist forever and that his poem will be read forever. Ovid believed that Romans had all the requisite optimism, capacity and intent to customize the environment to their favoring habitat. Instead of being ironic, Ovid had been indicating towards the imitating prowess of Romans, who adapted from the living model of Greeks and somehow sustained the turbulent times.
“Cum volet, illa dies, quae nil nisi corporius (Metamorphoses 873)”
In the lines above Ovid sarcastically points his views that Augustus might survive him out on this mortal earth and may live forever as a comet . Same is said for Julius Cesar, but Ovid considers himself to be truly eternal in memories of others forever, as he assumed his poems to go on with Roman existence over ages. Hence, the above inferences can be ratified from the historian views to count Ovid as Anti Augustan literalist and this rebellion being the prime reason for his banishment from Roman Empire later.