Golden Age

The term Golden Age (Greek: χρύσεον γένοςchryseon genos) comes from Greek mythology and legend and refers to the first in a sequence of four or five (or more) Ages of Man, in which the Golden Age is first, followed in sequence, by the Silver, Bronze, Heroic, and then the present (Iron), which is a period of decline, sometimes followed by the Leaden Age. By definition, one is never in the Golden Age.

By extension "Golden Age" denotes a period of primordial peace, harmony, stability, and prosperity. During this age peace and harmony prevailed, people did not have to work to feed themselves, for the earth provided food in abundance. They lived to a very old age with a youthful appearance, eventually dying peacefully, with spirits living on as "guardians". Plato in Cratylus (397 e) recounts the golden race of humans who came first. He clarifies that Hesiod did not mean literally made of gold, but good and noble.

There are analogous concepts in the religious and philosophical traditions of the South Asian subcontinent. For example, the Vedic or ancient Hindu culture saw history as cyclical, composed of yugas with alternating Dark and Golden Ages. The Kali yuga (Iron Age), Dwapara yuga (Bronze Age), Treta yuga (Silver Age) and Satya yuga (Golden Age) correspond to the four Greek ages. Similar beliefs occur in the ancient Middle East and throughout the ancient world, as well.

Golden age (metaphor)

A golden age is a period in a field of endeavor when great tasks were accomplished. The term originated from early Greek and Roman poets, who used to refer to a time when mankind lived in a better time and was pure (see Golden Age).

The origin of the term is with the ancient Greek philosopher Hesiod, who introduced it in his Works and Days as the period where the "Golden Race" of man lived. This was part of fivefold division of Ages of Man, starting with the Golden age, then the Silver Age, the Bronze Age, the Age of Heroes (including the Trojan War) and finally the current Iron Age. The concept was further refined by Ovid in his Metamorphoses into the four "metal ages" (golden, silver, bronze, iron).

The Golden age in Classic literature

The Golden age as described by Hesiod was an age where all humans were created directly by the Olympian gods. They did not have women in their ranks, and could not reproduce. They lived long lives in peace and harmony, and were oblivious of death. The "Golden race" were however mortals, but would die peacefully and in their sleep unmarked by sickness and age. Ovid emphasizes the justice and peace that defined the Golden Age. He described it as a time before man learned the art of navigation, and as a pre-agricultural society. The idea of a Golden age lingered in literature and historical understanding throughout the Greek and Roman periods. It was partly replaced by the Christian of the Six Ages of the World based on the biblical chronology in the early Middle Ages.

Golden Age (disambiguation)

Golden Age refers to a mythological period of primeval human existence perceived as an ideal state when human beings were pure and free from suffering.

Golden Age may also refer to:

Literature

Novels, stories and essays

Periodicals and comics

Baghdad

Baghdad (Arabic: بغداد‎ ,بغداد Kurdish: Bexda‎, Iraqi pronunciation: [bɐʁˈd̪ɑːd̪]) is the capital of the Republic of Iraq. The population of Baghdad, as of 2011, is approximately 7,216,040, making it the largest city in Iraq, the second largest city in the Arab world (after Cairo, Egypt), and the second largest city in Western Asia (after Tehran, Iran). According to the government, the population of the country has reached 35 million, with 9 million in the capital.

Located along the Tigris River, the city was founded in the 8th century and became the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. Within a short time of its inception, Baghdad evolved into a significant cultural, commercial, and intellectual center for the Islamic world. This, in addition to housing several key academic institutions (e.g. House of Wisdom), garnered the city a worldwide reputation as the "Center of Learning".

Throughout the High Middle Ages, Baghdad was considered to be the largest city in the world with an estimated population of 1,200,000 people. The city was largely destroyed at the hands of the Mongol Empire in 1258, resulting in a decline that would linger through many centuries due to frequent plagues and multiple successive empires. With the recognition of Iraq as an independent state (formerly the British Mandate of Mesopotamia) in 1938, Baghdad gradually regained some of its former prominence as a significant center of Arab culture.

Baghdad (EP)

Baghdad is a 7-inchEP released by American punk rock band The Offspring on May 15, 1991. It is currently out of print, but sold 3000 copies within one week of its release. Although Baghdad has never been reissued on CD in its entirety, one of the songs were later released on compilations: "Baghdad" was released on Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 (Fat Wreck Chords, 2004). The band's official website does not list Baghdad in the otherwise comprehensive discography anymore (as of July 2013, the website lists only the studio albums and their Greatest Hits compilation album).

Track listing

Track Notes

The EP includes an early version of "Get It Right" of which a later version was released on their second studio album Ignition. The title track "Baghdad" was a re-recording of the song "Tehran" which appeared on the Offspring's debut self-titled album in 1989. It switches the words "Tehran" (the capital of Iran) for "Baghdad" (the capital of Iraq). The EP also includes a cover version of "Hey Joe" by Billy Roberts (a different version from what was later released on "Gone Away") and a previous unreleased instrumental track "The Blurb", which would not appear on any future recordings, but served as the basis for an early version of "Genocide", as well as "Change the World".

Baghdad (disambiguation)

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq.

Baghdad may also refer to:

Places

In Iraq

Elsewhere

Other uses

See also