Golden Age - Definition and Overview

A golden age is period in a field of endeavour where 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 utopia and was pure.

Within sequences or cycles of eras, the golden age stands alongside the silver age and the iron age, and conditions can improve or decline according to one's conception of mythic progression.

Common Golden ages include:

• Golden age of Latin literature, the period in Latin literature between Cicero and Ovid.
• Golden age of Swordplay, period of Sword skills between 16th and 18th century.
• Dutch Golden Age, 17th century
• Polish Golden Age, 16th century, early 17th century
• The Golden Age of the British whodunit, early 20th century
• The Golden Age of Radio, early 20th century
• Golden Age of Comic Books, period between 1938 and 1945
• The Golden Age of Hollywood animation
• Golden age of Science Fiction, period between the 1930s and 1950s
• Golden Age of Arcade Games, the early 1980s to early 1990s
• Golden age of Jewish culture in Spain, period between 900 and 1100
• Siglo de oro, the golden age of Spanish literature.
• Golden age of the Italian Horror movie (ca. 1957-1979)

See also: millennialism