» Sun Oct 21, 2012 8:45 am
"Age" isn't really defined as it is. "Era" varies; the First Era was 2920 years long* and ended when the Akaviri Potentate declared that the death of the last of the Reman line meant a new era; the Second Era was 897 years long and ended with Tiber Septim becoming Emperor, the Third Era ended in 433 with Martin Septim, the last of the Septim Emperors and we do not know how the Fourth Era ends yet.
Before the first era was the Merethic Era, very few historical records survive from then, it is usually thought to be 2500 years long and is counted backwards. Time has no meaning in the Dawn Era, which preceded the Merethic.
Note that as well as "Eras" we have "kalpas"; this is a much longer and stranger denomination of time and it is usually thought that the end of the kalpa is essentially the end of the world.
*there were 1008 years in the First Era during which a Dragon Break occured; as such it is impossible to measure time or record events from then. Usually it is best to consider that time stops at 1E1200 and carries on in 1E2208.