Theogony and Works and Days — Hesiod

Hesiod who lived in Boetia in the late eighth century BC is one of the oldest known and possibly the oldest of Greek poets His Theogony contains a systematic genealogy of the gods from the beginning of the world and an account of the struggles of the Titans In contrast Works and Days is a compendium of moral and practical advice on husbandry and throws unique and fascinating light on archaic Greek society As well as offering the earliest known sources for the myths of Pandora Prometheus and the Golden Age Hesiods poetry provides a valuable account of the ethics and superstitions of the society in which he lived Unlike Homer Hesiod writes about himself and his family and he stands out as the first personality in European literature This new translation by a leading expert on the Hesiodic poems combines accuracy with readability It is accompanied by an introduction and explanatory notes