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| Lucas Cranach the Elder, The Golden Age. Source |
Cronus, king of the Gods, created mortals to live on the earth. He called them "humans," and they were good and peaceful creatures.
The humans and gods mingled freely with each other. The gods often shared their home on Mount Olympus with the humans, as they enjoyed their company. Humans didn't have to work for food, as the earth created it in abundance. They never aged, and died peacefully with youthful beauty. Their spirits lived on as guardians of humanity, and wandered the earth thusly. Life was harmonious and peaceful. This Age of Man became known as the Golden Age, and prospered for eons until the birth of Zeus.
The goddess Astraea, celestial virgin, lived as an immortal among humanity. As the goddess of innocence and justice, she traveled the earth with her scales, weighing the purity and innocence of humanity. She loved the creatures created by Cronus, and enjoyed their purity and innocence.
It came to be that the gods waged war against each other, and Zeus laid claim to the throne of his father. The Titans were thrown into the depths of Tartarus. To Astraea, it seemed as though the morals of humanity were thrown in as well.
The Silver Age commenced with Zeus at the throne, and humanity began to suffer. As time went on, Astraea noticed change within humanity. Quarrels broke out, and anger began to develop within them. They no longer lived for hundreds of years, but were confined to only one hundred. They stayed as children for the duration of their lives, until suddenly they rapidly aged and died. The gods created seasons, and the earth no longer freely produced food. Humanity had to work to survive.
The humans began to resent the gods, and refused to continue worshiping them. This angered Zeus, who believed he should have the respect of humanity as King of the Gods. His rage was not contained, and Zeus destroyed humanity.
The wickedness and evil inflicted upon humanity upset Astraea. They were no longer the humans she loved and adored, and couldn't bear to witness their destruction. Astraea ascended into the heavens, and placed herself amongst the stars, becoming the constellation Virgo. She placed next to her the golden scales of justice as the constellation Libra.
It's believed that one day, Astraea will return to earth, bringing with her the second Golden Age of Men. She will watch over humanity for all of time in a world of peace and prosperity.
Author's Note: I found this story while researching for my storybook. I thought it was super cool learning about the Ages of Men, and how that correlates with the Goddess Astraea's story. I think it's interesting how men lived in peace with the gods until Zeus came along. That guy's a real jerk.
