Hesiod

Summary

Hesiod lived in Boeotia in the late eighth century. His two substantial poems in epic verse are the Theogony (“Generation of the Gods”), which is a retelling of traditional myths of origin, and Works and Days, which is addressed to his brother Perses over the disputed division of property that followed their father's death. Hence arises Hesiod's concern with justice and the resolution of disputes.

The origins of evil (Theogony 507–612)

Hesiod's versions of the Prometheus myth are translated here as background for later accounts of the origins of human society. See especially Protagoras, fr. 8. “Prometheus” means “Forethought,” and “Epimetheus,” “Afterthought.”

Iapetus took Clymene, fine-legged daughter of Ocean,

to wife, and went into the same bed with her.

She bore him a son, stout-hearted Atlas, and also

gave birth to Menoitios whose pride soared, to Prometheus

with his quick versatile mind, and to wrong-headed Epimetheus,

who was an evil from the beginning to hardworking men,

for he was first to welcome the woman Zeus had formed,

the maiden. Far-seeing Zeus struck wicked Menoitios

with a smoking thunderbolt and sent him down to Erebos

for his impudence and his overweening audacity.

By the force of necessity, Atlas stands at the ends

of the earth by the clear-voiced Hesperides, and holds

broad heaven on his head and untiring hands,

for Zeus in his wisdom assigned him this lot. […]