Each era in Tamriel is marked by a historical event, like how Martin Septim ended the Oblivion Crisis, marking the end of the 3 Era. One thing that confused me is WHO declares the end of Eras?
Who declares the end of the end of the Era in the Elder Scrolls series
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Best Answer
Generally speaking, whomever is in charge
Dawn Era → Merethic Era
In the Dawn Era, the gods were actively creating Mundus and time worked non-linearly. Therefore, it's impossible to measure it. The Merethic Era begins when time moves linearly, and it's marked by the prevalence of Elves.
Merethic Era → First Era
In the Nordic language, "Merethic" means "Era of Elves", and marks the time when the Aldmer (ancestors to modern elves) ruled. The transition between eras happens at the point when the Nords consider to be the "beginning of time".
First → Second Era
After the last Emperor of the Reman Dynasty is assassinated, Akaviri Potentate Versidue-Shaie takes the throne and declares the start of a new era.
Second → Third Era
With the help of the Numidium, Tiber Septim unites all of Tamriel into one Empire. He declares the start of a new era.
Third → Fourth Era
UESP.net says that the transition happened with the Oblivion Crisis (i.e. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion).
Some of the other wiki pages repeat this and cite the "Events of Oblivion". I'm not sure if there is in-game character dialogue or something regarding this; I'm not able to find a direct quote about who decided this transition.
It's possible that by this point, the end of a dynasty had now traditionally marked the end of an era. More information is needed to clarify this.