Motif
metallic races and degeneration through mixture
metallic_races_and_degeneration_through_mixture
A motif of the World Ages and Cosmic Decline family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
greek
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The Republic BOOK V. / BOOK VI. / BOOK VII. / BOOK VIII.; lines 20387-20491 confidence: high
"testing the metal of your different races, which, like Hesiod's, are of gold and silver and brass and iron... iron will be mingled with silver, and brass with gold... causes of hatred and war."
The passage names gold, silver, brass, and iron races, says rulers fail to test them, and describes the mingling of unlike metals as a source of discord.
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