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A golden age is a cultural peak, such as the 5th century BC in Greece, followed by a decline. It can also refer to a high point in a specific thing, like the 1940s in American cinema. While nostalgic, it is a time of rapid cultural development, but not all benefit. It should not be applied to present events.
A golden age is a time in a specific culture when cultural advances are at their highest point. For example, many refer to the Golden Age of Classical Greece as a period in the 5th century BC when literature, theatre, philosophy, art and politics were most inspired. These ages are often followed by a decline, where new cultural products are derivative and less inspired and where politics begins to deviate from its initial course. If those ages could be represented graphically, they would be the highest point, the top of the bell on a bell curve, or the apex of a society.
Many people use this term to refer to a time when a specific thing seems to be reaching a high point. For example, many consider the 1940s to be the Golden Age of American cinema. Recognizing a high point generally means that something is the best it will ever be, however, and many are hesitant to use the term.
In one sense, the use of the term is often nostalgic and overly fictionalized, particularly in history. For example, not all people living in ancient Greece benefited from it. In particular, slaves and women had few personal or political rights. In general, however, these time periods are simply a kind of cultural explosion where new developments and new ideas occur that benefit society as a whole with great rapidity.
Classical Greek literature, for example, is said to have had its heyday with playwrights such as Aeschylus, Euripides, Sophocles and the playwright Aristophanes. Modern people still read and study their work and find it relevant not only for their own time, but also for the present day. Similar claims can be made about the theater in the Elizabethan period, during which Shakespeare, Ben Jonson and Christopher Marlowe lived and worked.
Golden ages are typically periods of time where a definite low point can be observed before and after the age. It is often premature to call a new event a golden age, so without being able to predict the future, it is impossible to see its decline. The term generally refers to things in the past and should not be applied to present events or cultural developments.
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