AGE. A term employed to designate suc cessive epochs in the history of the human race. In the Greek mind, the life of the race was likened to that of the individual—hence the in fancy of the former might easily be imagined to be, like that of the latter, the most beautiful and serene of all. llesiod mentions five ages— the Golden, simple and patriarchal; the Silver, voluptuous and godless; the Brazen, warlike, wild. and violent; the Heroic, an aspiration to ward the better; the iron, in which justice, piety, and faithfulness lead vanished from the earth, the time in which Ifesiod fancied that he himself lived. Ovid closely imitates the old Greek, except in one particular—he omits the Heroic Age. This idea, at first perhaps a mere poetic comparison, gradually worked its way into prose, and finally became an element of scientific philosophy. These ages were regarded as the divisions of the great which would be completed when the stars and planets had performed a revolution round the heavens, after which destiny would repeat itself in the same series of events. Thus nlythology was brought into connection with as tronotny. The Golden Age was said to be gov erned by Saturn; the Silver, by Jupiter; the Brazen, by Neptune, and the Iron, by Pluto. Many curious calculations were entered into by ancient writers to ascertain the length of the heavenly year and its various divisions. The greatest discrepancy prevailed, as might natu rally be expected; some maintaining that it was 3000, and others as many as 18,000, solar years.
The Sibylline Books compared it to the seasons of the solar year, calling the Golden Arre the spring. etc.; aml, on the completion of the cycle, the old order WM. renewed. The idea of a suc cession of ages is so natural that it has in wrought itself into the religious convictions of almost all nations. It is sanctioned by Scrip. tune, for it is symbolically adopted in the Apoc alypse to a certain extent; it also manifests itself in the sacred hooks of the Hindus. Mod ern philosophy, at least in Germany and Prance, has also attempted to divide human history into definite ages or periods. Fichte numbers live, of which he conceives that we are in the third; Hegel and Auguste Comte reek at three, placing us in the last. Modern anthropology divides the prehistoric period of man into the older and newer Stone Ages (Palettlithie and Neolithic) and the Bronze Age. Stone and bronze are here not figurative, as in Ilesiod's elassitivation, but are indications of the state of man's civiliza tion. In reference to this and other ages, as de fined in science, see GEoLocv, etc.
AGE. In law, that period of life at which persons emerging from infancy become capable of exercising the rights or become subject to the obligations and penalties of normal persons. As these rights and obligations vary greatly, the age of en paeity may vary according to the right or obligation in question. Pull age is the period at which a person acquires full legal capacity, and, in England and the United States, is usually fixed by law at twenty-one years. for men and women alike. This is considered to be attained on the day preceding the twenty-first anniversary of birth. In a few States, however, a woman manes of age at eighteen. Political rapacity is usually coincident with the attainment of legal capacity. though greater maturity is usually required in this country of the holders of certain important offices of State. Thus. while one may become a member of the British Parliament at twenty one, no one can be a representative in Congress until he is twenty-five. or a Senator of the United States until lie is thirty, nor become President before attaining the age of thirty-five.
Short of full age, a male minor may become capable of military service at eighteen (military aye), and become capable of consenting to mar riage and the choice of a guardian at fourteen of discretion). At common law the age of discretion for female infants was twelve, and thy age of consent to unlawful carnal intercourse was ten, but recent legislation in the United States has raised the age of consent to fourteen, fifteen. sixteen, and, in several States, New York. to eighteen years. (See CoNsgx•r; 12ac(•.1 The term 'age of discretion' is also more commonly employed to designate the period (usually the age of fourteen) at which persons become subject to criminal liability, an infant un de• -even years of age being deemed incapable of crime, and one between seven ;Ind fourteen being presumed to lack the discretion which such lia bility assumes; hut this presumption is capable of being rebutted by proof. (Soy INFANT; CoN• TRACT ; CRINIE; For the Modell] law of infancy consult Schonler. Trot list on the !limiest ic Mutations ( Boston, Is701.
AGE, CallosteAL. The are which, according to the canons, a man mnst have reached for ordination. This, in the Itanatt Church, is 22 for the sub-diaconate. 23 for the diaconate, •5 for the priesthood. and 30 for the episcopate. Dispensations may, however, be granted from this rule. In the (;reek church the age is .25 for a deacon, 30 for a priest or bishop; in the Anglican C lllll munion 23 for a deacon and 24 for a priest.