Hesiod
(8th
century BC)
Together with
Homer, this poet is considered the earliest known writer in the Western world.
He was born in Boeotia, but after his father died he settled in Naupaktos.
According to a
legend, Hesiod met the Muses while herding his
animals on M. Helicon. They told him to narrate "the present, the past
and what is to come".
Hesiod lived as a farmer for most of his life, and his work Works and Days,
is a poetic manual to correct life: one should be hard working, there the
world is in moral decay which days one should do certain things on ones farm
according to religious calendar.He described
the history of the world in five phases or periods, starting with the Golden
age until the evil Iron age.
In his Theogony, Genealogy of the gods, he aspired to structure the Greek
myths and described the creation of the world from chaos
and the births and adventures of the gods. He counted to 30000 divine beings.
In the lost work Catalogue of Women, he wrote about the exploits of the heroes
whose mothers were mortal women.
A legend tells us that Hesiod was murdered and thrown into the sea, but the
murderers were later discovered and punished through the workings of Hesiods
dogs.
"Before the gates of excellence,
the high gods have placed toil,
Long is the road thereto,
and rough and steep."
"Gossip is mischievous, light and easy to raise,
but grievous o bear and difficult to shake."
Hesiod, Works and Days
