In Hesiod’s Works and Days, which Greek age is described immediately before the iron race?

In Hesiod’s Works and Days, the age of heroes is described immediately before the iron race. Hesiod’s sequence is the golden race, the silver race, the bronze race, the race of heroes, and finally the iron race.

The heroic race is unusual because it interrupts an otherwise downward movement from earlier, more blessed generations toward the harsh iron age. Hesiod associates this generation with famous figures who fought at Thebes and Troy, including the heroes of epic tradition.

The passage is relevant to Pandora because it appears in the same poem that tells the story of Pandora and the jar. The ages of humanity and Pandora’s story are neighboring explanations for why human life is marked by labor, suffering, and moral difficulty.