What were the three ages in Giambattista Vico’s theory of history?

In his work Scienza nuova, the Italian philosopher Giambattista Vico proposed that human societies evolve through three distinct, recurring stages of history:12

• The Age of the Gods: In this initial stage, humanity is ruled by fear of the supernatural, and individuals express themselves through poetic metaphors.12
• The Age of Heroes: This period arises from alliances formed by family leaders to protect against internal and external threats. Society becomes rigidly divided into classes, specifically patricians and plebeians.12
• The Age of Men: This stage emerges from class conflict as plebeians achieve equal rights. It is characterized by the use of prose and irony, though it faces risks of corruption, dissolution, and potential reversion to a primitive, "bestial" state of barbarism.12

Vico believed that these cycles are governed by Providence, which acts to prevent humanity from being destroyed by the decay that can occur at the end of the age of men.1