What is "golden age"

Golden \Gold"en\ (g[=o]ld"'n), a. [OE. golden; cf. OE. gulden, AS. gylden, from gold. See Gold, and cf. Guilder.]

1. Made of gold; consisting of gold.

2. Having the color of gold; as, the golden grain.

3. Very precious; highly valuable; excellent; eminently auspicious; as, golden opinions. Golden age.

   1. The fabulous age of primeval simplicity and purity of manners in rural employments, followed by the silver age, bronze age, and iron age.
      --Dryden.

   2. (Roman Literature) The best part (B. C. 81 -- A. D. 14) of the classical period of Latinity; the time when Cicero, C[ae]sar, Virgil, etc., wrote. Hence:

   3. That period in the history of a literature, etc., when it flourishes in its greatest purity or attains its greatest glory; as, the Elizabethan age has been considered the golden age of English literature. Golden balls, three gilt balls used as a sign of a pawnbroker's office or shop; -- originally taken from the coat of arms of Lombardy, the first money lenders in London having been Lombards. Golden bull. See under Bull, an edict. Golden chain (Bot.), the shrub Cytisus Laburnum, so named from its long clusters of yellow blossoms. Golden club (Bot.), an aquatic plant ( Orontium aquaticum), bearing a thick spike of minute yellow flowers. Golden cup (Bot.), the buttercup. Golden eagle (Zo["o]l.), a large and powerful eagle ( Aquila Chrysa["e]tos) inhabiting Europe, Asia, and North America. It is so called from the brownish yellow tips of the feathers on the head and neck. A dark variety is called the royal eagle; the young in the second year is the ring-tailed eagle. Golden fleece.

      1. (Mythol.) The fleece of gold fabled to have been taken from the ram that bore Phryxus through the air to Colchis, and in quest of which Jason undertook the Argonautic expedition.

      2. (Her.) An order of knighthood instituted in 1429 by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy; -- called also Toison d'Or. Golden grease, a bribe; a fee. [Slang] Golden hair (Bot.), a South African shrubby composite plant with golden yellow flowers, the Chrysocoma Coma-aurea. Golden Horde (Hist.), a tribe of Mongolian Tartars who overran and settled in Southern Russia early in the 18th century. Golden Legend, a hagiology (the ``Aurea Legenda'') written by James de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa, in the 13th century, translated and printed by Caxton in 1483, and partially paraphrased by Longfellow in a poem thus entitled. Golden marcasite tin. [Obs.] Golden mean, the way of wisdom and safety between extremes; sufficiency without excess; moderation. Angels guard him in the golden mean. --Pope. Golden mole (Zo["o]l), one of several South African Insectivora of the family Chrysochlorid[ae], resembling moles in form and habits. The fur is tinted with green, purple, and gold. Golden number (Chronol.), a number showing the year of the lunar or Metonic cycle. It is reckoned from 1 to 19, and is so called from having formerly been written in the calendar in gold. Golden oriole. (Zo["o]l.) See Oriole. Golden pheasant. See under Pheasant. Golden pippin, a kind of apple, of a bright yellow color. Golden plover (Zo["o]l.), one of several species of plovers, of the genus Charadrius, esp. the European ( Charadrius apricarius, syn. Charadrius pluvialis; -- called also yellow plover, black-breasted plover, hill plover, and whistling plover. The common American species ( Charadrius dominicus) is also called frostbird, and bullhead. Golden robin. (Zo["o]l.) See Baltimore oriole, in Vocab. Golden rose (R. C. Ch.), a gold or gilded rose blessed by the pope on the fourth Sunday in Lent, and sent to some church or person in recognition of special services rendered to the Holy See. Golden rule.

         1. The rule of doing as we would have others do to us. Cf.
            --Luke vi. 31.

         2. The rule of proportion, or rule of three.

            Golden samphire (Bot.), a composite plant ( Inula crithmoides), found on the seashore of Europe.

            Golden saxifrage (Bot.), a low herb with yellow flowers ( Chrysosplenium oppositifolium), blossoming in wet places in early spring.

            Golden seal (Bot.), a perennial ranunculaceous herb ( Hydrastis Canadensis), with a thick knotted rootstock and large rounded leaves.

            Golden sulphide of antimony, or Golden sulphuret of antimony (Chem.), the pentasulphide of antimony, a golden or orange yellow powder.

            Golden warbler (Zo["o]l.), a common American wood warbler ( Dendroica [ae]stiva); -- called also blue-eyed yellow warbler, garden warbler, and summer yellow bird.

            Golden wasp (Zo["o]l.), a bright-colored hymenopterous insect, of the family Chrysidid[ae]. The colors are golden, blue, and green.

            Golden wedding. See under Wedding.

n. 1 A happy age of peace and prosperity. 2 A time of great progress or achievement in a particular field; or when something reaches its peak.

1. n. a time period when some activity or skill was at its peak; "it was the golden age of cinema"

2. any period (sometimes imaginary) of great peace and prosperity and happiness

3. (classical mythology) the first and best age of the world, a time of ideal happiness, prosperity, and innocence; by extension, any flourishing and outstanding period

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:

• Golden age (metaphor), the classical term used as a metaphor for any period of peace, prosperity or abundance; includes a list of various golden ages

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 it to refer to a time when mankind lived in a better time and was pure (see Golden Age).

The ancient Greek philosopher Hesiod introduced the term in his Works and Days, when referring to the period when 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, and iron).

Golden Age is an adult animated documentary film which debuted as a web-series on Comedy Central's broadband channel Motherload in 2006. Ten segments trace the sordid careers of oddball cartoon characters from throughout the history of animation. Notable characters include Marching Gumdrop, Lancaster Loon, and Kongobot. The film is produced by Augenblick Studios and directed by Aaron Augenblick. Golden Age was an official selection of the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

"Golden Age" is a 2008 song by the band TV on the Radio, the first single from their album Dear Science. It was number 12 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008. Spin magazine chose the song as the 8th best song of the year. MTV ranked it as the 20th best song of the year, and Pitchfork chose it as the 51st best song of the year.

The rock band Phish began covering "Golden Age" in 2009.

"Golden Age" is an original radio play written by James Goss and is a spin-off from the British science-fiction television series Torchwood, itself a spin-off from Doctor Who. This episode aired on 2 July 2009 on BBC Radio 4. It stars John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness, Eve Myles as Gwen Cooper, Gareth David-Lloyd as Ianto Jones and Jasmine Hyde as The Duchess.

The term Golden Age ( chryseon 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.

In classical Greek mythology the Golden Age was presided over by the leading Titan Cronus. In some version of the myth Astraea also ruled. She lived with men until the end of the Silver Age, but in the Bronze Age, when men became violent and greedy, fled to the stars, where she appears as the constellation Virgo, holding the scales of Justice, or Libra.

European pastoral literary tradition often depicted nymphs and shepherds as living a life of rustic innocence and peace, set in Arcadia, a region of Greece that was the abode and center of worship of their tutelary deity, goat-footed Pan, who dwelt among them.