Hesiod (c. 700 BC-c. 700 BC)

 

One of the earliest Greek poets, Hesiod is credited with the invention of didactic poetry around 700 B.C. His surviving works are the Theogony, relating to the stories of the gods, and the Works and Days, relating to peasant life. The latter is a personal address to Hesiod's brother, Perses, whom he urges to practice a life of honest hard work through examples of mythic stories that illustrate the need for virtue. "The Age of Iron" deplores man's quest for power and wealth and argues that communities must worship Justice (Zeus's favorite daughter) above all other virtues. Hesiod's poetry includes passages critical of those aristoi who support themselves on the labors of others rather than through their own exertions.

Bibliography

Works by the Author

Hesiod. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. Translated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1936.

Hesiod. The Works of Hesiod. Translated by Cooke. London: N. Blandford, 1728.

Hesiod. Theogony. Translated by Norman O. Brown. New York: The Liberal Arts Press, 1953.

Source

The biographical material about the author originally appeared on The Goodrich Room: Interactive Tour website.