ic ▁age ), ▁where ▁divine ▁activity ▁was ▁more ▁limited . ▁The ▁last ▁and ▁greatest ▁of ▁the ▁hero ic ▁leg ends ▁is ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁the ▁Tro jan ▁War ▁and ▁after ▁( which ▁is ▁regarded ▁by ▁some ▁research ers ▁as ▁a ▁separate , ▁fourth ▁period ). ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁gods ▁often ▁has ▁been ▁of ▁more ▁interest ▁to ▁contemporary ▁students ▁of ▁myth , ▁the ▁Greek ▁authors ▁of ▁the ▁arch a ic ▁and ▁classical ▁er as ▁had ▁a ▁clear ▁preference ▁for ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁hero es , ▁establish ing ▁a ▁chron ology ▁and ▁record ▁of ▁human ▁accomplish ments ▁after ▁the ▁questions ▁of ▁how ▁the ▁world ▁came ▁into ▁being ▁were ▁explained . ▁For ▁example , ▁the ▁hero ic ▁I li ad ▁and ▁Od ys sey ▁d war f ed ▁the ▁divine - f oc used ▁The og ony ▁and ▁H omer ic ▁H ym ns ▁in ▁both ▁size ▁and ▁popular ity . ▁Under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁H omer ▁the ▁" h ero ▁cult " ▁leads ▁to ▁a ▁rest ruct uring ▁in ▁spiritual ▁life , ▁expressed ▁in ▁the ▁separation ▁of ▁the ▁real m ▁of ▁the ▁gods ▁from ▁the ▁real m ▁of ▁the ▁dead ▁( h ero es ), ▁of ▁the ▁Ch th onic ▁from ▁the ▁Olymp ian . ▁In ▁the ▁Works ▁and ▁Days , ▁H es iod ▁makes ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁scheme ▁of ▁Four ▁A ges ▁of ▁Man ▁( or ▁R aces ): ▁Golden , ▁Silver , ▁Bron ze , ▁and ▁Iron . ▁These ▁races ▁or ▁ages ▁are ▁separate ▁cre ations ▁of ▁the ▁gods , ▁the