The "Five Ages of Man" is a concept from ancient Greek mythology, particularly associated with the works of Hesiod. It describes the progression of humanity through five distinct stages, each representing a different era of moral and physical decline. These ages are the Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, Heroic Age, and Iron Age, with each age characterized by varying levels of virtue, strength, and lifespan. In the Golden Age, humans lived in harmony with the gods and enjoyed eternal happiness. The subsequent ages saw a gradual decline in morality and quality of life, culminating in the Iron Age, where humanity faces hardship, strife, and moral decay. This framework illustrates the belief in a cyclical nature of human existence and the inevitable decline over time.