Figures of Older Individuals and Perceptions of Old Age in Greek and Roman Mythology

The contributions of mythical older adult figures to today’s vocabulary and literature were studied by assessing the perception of aging in the axis of older adult characters in Greek and Roman mythology. The narratives about older individuals and old age were studied using the “discourse analysis” approach, and the profound effects of ideas and perceptions in mythology today were explored. Aside from those shown as physically collapsed, unhappy, and dirty, as in the Geras example, Greek and Roman mythology is rich in images of aged people; there are also individuals such as Mentor, Silenus, and Chiron who are regarded to be knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced wise men. Furthermore, characters like Tithonus, Proteus, and Mentor, whose traits inspired and contributed terminologically to numerous fields such as medicine, nursing, psychology, and educational sciences, are crucial in illustrating mythology’s contributions to the modern age. Older adult characters in Greek and Roman mythology, such as Tiresias and Sbyl, rose to prominence due to their prophetic powers, demonstrating the link between old age and prophetic ability. In Greek and Roman mythology, older adult characters exhibit a wide range of complex qualities. For this reason, the older adults figures and discourse in Greek and Roman mythology contributed significantly to the studies of aging and scientific literature and revealed the origins of the aging perception in several ways. Examining this mythical discourse reveals its contributions to scientific language and the traces left in social memory.