Customer Reviews

The Works and Days; Theogony; The Shield of Herakles (Ann Arbor Paperbacks)

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Hesiod is often overshadowed by his--most probable--contemporary, Homer. Both poets descend from ancient oral traditions, and are considered by many scholars today to be the pinnacle of this tradition. One can see why after reading one of their epic poems. However, they differ greatly in their styles: from their choice of meter to their subject matters. This is because they were most likely of different "poetic groups." Hesiod stresses the story of the Gods and classifies them through their geneaology, particularly in his Theogony. This is, however, more exciting than it sounds. It is the story of the Titanomachia, the battle of the Titans. "Works and Days" is a gem. Most of the poem is spent giving advice on agriculture and farming, but it also has some very enlightening things to say about daily life and social behaviour...beware ladies, for there is an unkind line about women in the Works and Days...don't let it stop you from reading this great work though. Read it and love it!

Again, this is typical Lattimore interpreting the text "too" faithfully.

The word-for-word style works for scholars and it is they who praise him the most, but it doesn't work for me. I always am looking for poetic creativity, and not redundant interpretations. That's why I keep coming back to Stanley Lombardo's translation of Hesiod and also Mr. Frazer's translation.

Not a first choice among regular people seeking the best possible translation of Hesiod.

Hesiod was a bit of a disappointment for me. The Works and Days was full of agriculture tips and his advice on how you should live your life. There was very little to do with the ancient Greek Gods and was just the advice of one man on how an individual should conduct themselves. Theogony was more of what I was looking for with a version of the origin of the ancient gods. Hesiod spells out the beginnings of the gods very well and it was the most enjoyable part of this book. I would recommend Homer or Virgil before trying this work.