Luís's Reviews > Theogony / Works and Days

1st book - Theogony
This work is a poem of 1022 verses that can be structured as follows: 1 to 115 introduction, dedicated to presenting the Muses, their characteristics, and their way of acting. Verses 116 to 125 deal with the first divine generation, the original or elemental beings (Kaos, Gea, and Eros). In the middle of verses 126 and 239, in agreement with the second generation of gods and their decency, we find that famous account concerning Uranus's castration at Chronos and Aphrodite's origin, while properly every curse regarding Uranus through his children. From verses 240 to 616, the theme of the third generation of gods, the first monsters, appears. Also, here we find the narration of Prometheus' sin and his punishment, Pandora. We also told her of the battle between the Olympian gods and the Titans. Between verses 617 and 819, we witness the conflicts, final defeat and punishment of the Titans, and a detailed description of the nether world. From poems 820 to 885, the struggle occurs between Zeus and Typhon, the so-called Typhonomachy, with the triumph of the first and imprisonment of the second in the newborn Tartarus and the consequence of typhoons. Between verses 886 to 937, the question, peace already assured, are the many marriages of Zeus and their parade: Metis, Themis, Eurinome, Demeter, Mnemosyne, Leto, Hera. Among the illustrious births are Athena and Hephaestus. The loves of Ares and Aphrodite are narrated, among others. In verses 938 to 964, the attention is directed to the extramarital relations of Zeus and the children that arose from and were accepted in Olympus (Hermes, Dionysus, and Heracles). But it also tells of the unions of Heracles, Dionysus, Hephaestus, and Helios' descendants, including the famous Circe. Finally, between verses 965 and 1022, we talk about the union of goddesses with mortals and the birth of the different heroes of the Greek world.
This work is of quick and attractive reading, essential as a source of classical mythology.

2nd Book – Works & Days

Works and Days is a poem about autobiographical elements in which Hesiod recounts his differences with his brother. At the same time, he writes advice for the life of the men of Ancient Greece (although provided to get an idea of how they lived and thought in those days). And by adding some mythical stories such as the mischiefs of Prometheus, the creation of Pandora, and the myth of races, with at end an astronomical precision, the Pleiades and Sirius, with style a little rougher this time realistic.