About Hesiod’s Style and Technique
1. With Hesiod we see the beginning of personal poetry in Greece
2. Didactic Epic : An instructive long poem with advices
3. Personification : Giving life to a non living
4. Zeus is portrayed as omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all seen)
5. Juxtaposition
6. Hesiod speaks directly to Perses, not a general audience.
7. Dikē (Justice)
8. Adikia (Injustice, corruption)
9. Myth Used as Moral Example
● Pandora → explains human suffering
● Five Ages of Man → moral decline of humanity
● Prometheus → punishment for trickery
General Introduction For Essays
Works and Days is a didactic epic by Hesiod written as advice to his brother Perses.
The poem teaches the value of hard work, justice, and respect for the gods through
myths and practical guidance.
In this discussion..
,Hesiod’s bibliography
Brother : Perses
“May my song to Perses tell the truth”
Story about Hesiod and Perses’s Father
They used to live in Aeolian Cyme
He was a merchant / sea trader, not a farmer.
He failed in sea trade and became poor.
To escape poverty, he left Cyme.
He crossed the sea and came to Boeotia in Greece.
He settled in a small village called Askra, near Mount Helicon.
Ascra was a hard and rough land with poor soil.
Hesiod’s father became a farmer there.
Childhood Town : Aeolian Cyme
Current Town : Town of Askra near Mount Helicon
“He crossed far overseas, In his black ship and came here, to this place”
Background story of him and his brother
By inheritance a land was given to the two brothers which was meant to be divided
in half, but Perses took the large portion.
In search of Justice, Hesiod goes to courts
But Perses bribes them, which doesn’t bring justice to Hesiod
That is the reason why he writes Works and Days to advise Perses who is a lazy,
corrupted man.
“Hear Zeus and set our fallen laws upright”
“We slipped our property in half,but you grabbed at the larger part and praised to
heaven. The lords who love to try a case like that, eaters of bribe”
, Hesiod’s Experience with the Muses
● Hesiod was once shepherding sheep near Mount Helicon.
● There he had a divine encounter with the Muses.
● The Muses appeared to him and spoke to him directly.
● They taught him how to sing and compose poetry.
● They gave him a laurel staff, which is a symbol of a poet.
The Muses told him they could speak both truth and lies.
● They ordered Hesiod to sing of the gods and of human life.
● This moment made Hesiod a divinely inspired poet.
● Because of the Muses, Hesiod believes his poetry has authority and truth.
Hesiod’s Experience with Sailing
● Hesiod says he had very little experience with sailing.
● He sailed only once in his life.
● The journey was from Aulis to Chalcis.
● He went there to take part in a poetry contest.
● He says Aulis was the place from which the Greek heroes sailed to Troy.
Hesiod’s Contest at Amphidamas
● Hesiod once took part in a poetry contest.
● The contest was held at Chalcis in Euboea.
● It was organized during the funeral games of Amphidamas, a noble warrior.
● Many poets competed by reciting poems.
● Hesiod performed his poetry there.
● He won the contest.
● As his prize, he received a tripod (a three-legged bronze stand).
● Hesiod dedicated this tripod to the Muses of Mount Helicon.
1. With Hesiod we see the beginning of personal poetry in Greece
2. Didactic Epic : An instructive long poem with advices
3. Personification : Giving life to a non living
4. Zeus is portrayed as omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all seen)
5. Juxtaposition
6. Hesiod speaks directly to Perses, not a general audience.
7. Dikē (Justice)
8. Adikia (Injustice, corruption)
9. Myth Used as Moral Example
● Pandora → explains human suffering
● Five Ages of Man → moral decline of humanity
● Prometheus → punishment for trickery
General Introduction For Essays
Works and Days is a didactic epic by Hesiod written as advice to his brother Perses.
The poem teaches the value of hard work, justice, and respect for the gods through
myths and practical guidance.
In this discussion..
,Hesiod’s bibliography
Brother : Perses
“May my song to Perses tell the truth”
Story about Hesiod and Perses’s Father
They used to live in Aeolian Cyme
He was a merchant / sea trader, not a farmer.
He failed in sea trade and became poor.
To escape poverty, he left Cyme.
He crossed the sea and came to Boeotia in Greece.
He settled in a small village called Askra, near Mount Helicon.
Ascra was a hard and rough land with poor soil.
Hesiod’s father became a farmer there.
Childhood Town : Aeolian Cyme
Current Town : Town of Askra near Mount Helicon
“He crossed far overseas, In his black ship and came here, to this place”
Background story of him and his brother
By inheritance a land was given to the two brothers which was meant to be divided
in half, but Perses took the large portion.
In search of Justice, Hesiod goes to courts
But Perses bribes them, which doesn’t bring justice to Hesiod
That is the reason why he writes Works and Days to advise Perses who is a lazy,
corrupted man.
“Hear Zeus and set our fallen laws upright”
“We slipped our property in half,but you grabbed at the larger part and praised to
heaven. The lords who love to try a case like that, eaters of bribe”
, Hesiod’s Experience with the Muses
● Hesiod was once shepherding sheep near Mount Helicon.
● There he had a divine encounter with the Muses.
● The Muses appeared to him and spoke to him directly.
● They taught him how to sing and compose poetry.
● They gave him a laurel staff, which is a symbol of a poet.
The Muses told him they could speak both truth and lies.
● They ordered Hesiod to sing of the gods and of human life.
● This moment made Hesiod a divinely inspired poet.
● Because of the Muses, Hesiod believes his poetry has authority and truth.
Hesiod’s Experience with Sailing
● Hesiod says he had very little experience with sailing.
● He sailed only once in his life.
● The journey was from Aulis to Chalcis.
● He went there to take part in a poetry contest.
● He says Aulis was the place from which the Greek heroes sailed to Troy.
Hesiod’s Contest at Amphidamas
● Hesiod once took part in a poetry contest.
● The contest was held at Chalcis in Euboea.
● It was organized during the funeral games of Amphidamas, a noble warrior.
● Many poets competed by reciting poems.
● Hesiod performed his poetry there.
● He won the contest.
● As his prize, he received a tripod (a three-legged bronze stand).
● Hesiod dedicated this tripod to the Muses of Mount Helicon.
