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bookphair's review against another edition
4.0
What do you mean, write a review? Okay, you really do have to read this if you want to plug in your Greek mythology people and heirarchy. You can get the geneology anywhere, but it's interesting to see how it's worded. The story is universal. Sorry, christians.
jonnybrick's review against another edition
3.0
Boring poem which still bores Classics students rigid 2500 years after it was written.
annatsp's review against another edition
2.0
I read Theogony for an online course on Greek and Roman Mythology at Coursera (I didn't read Works and Days as it wasn't required for the course).
It was tough reading and I almost didn't finish.
Maybe I'll get round to Works and Days when I have more time.
It was tough reading and I almost didn't finish.
Maybe I'll get round to Works and Days when I have more time.
davidpc83's review against another edition
4.0
“Works and Days” was basically a how-to-be successful in your life / guide for the ancient Greek men. It is a mix of moral standards of that time (although many would not be considered outdated), practical ways to farm and live off the land (and not die during winter for example), how to build and have a home, but also what we would call superstitions but to the ancient Greeks probably took seriously (i.e. lucky days for a baby to be born, or to do a specific errand, etc). It was an interesting text to read to get a glimpse into what the expectations were for living back then as an ancient Greek (man).
Theogony is Greek for “the genealogy or birth of the gods.” It is exactly that - it tells the story of how the world came to be and how the Greek gods as we know them played a part in it (as well as other Greek entities/monsters) and who was related to who, etc. It goes into some of the plots involving the characters (ex: Zeus leading his siblings to take down the Titans), but for the most part is a summary of all these events, so not nothing feels fully fleshed out. It’s more of a straight-forward telling of WHAT happened, not how or why, etc. I imagine that would be told in fuller detail with their own individual stories and retellings orally. But this gives the framework.
featheryscribe's review against another edition
4.0
Kimberly Johnson has crafted a lucid and elegant translation of Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days. I had never heard of Hesiod - a poet contemporary to Homer - before reading this translation, and found the work enjoyable. If you're a fan of Robert Fagles' translation of The Iliad and The Odyssey, or Seamus Heaney's translation of Beowulf, you'll similarly enjoy Johnson's rendering of Hesiod's works. Johnson's translation is likewise lyrical and linguistically intricate, but also clear and easily understood. Theogony is a genealogy of the gods, and details the overthrow of the Titans. Johnson argues that Hesiod continues his study of the divine order of the universe in a more earthly context in Works and Days, in which Hesiod lays out how to organize agricultural and maritime tasks throughout the year (the "works" part), as well as auspicious dates and months as ordained by Zeus (the "days" part). Interspersed in the Works and Days are a number of aphorisms and sayings, some of which apply as well today in the modern world as they did in ancient times (the sayings on gossip and falsehoods, for instance, ring all too true). Complementing Johnson's translation are helpful introductory sections and thorough notes, and those with a knowledge of Greek will enjoy this volume's bilingual format, to enable side-by-side Greek and English comparisons.
Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read - great for the back-story of the Olympian gods, and for an interesting snapshot into everyday ancient Greek life and folk wisdom.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.
Overall, this was a quick and enjoyable read - great for the back-story of the Olympian gods, and for an interesting snapshot into everyday ancient Greek life and folk wisdom.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.
kat_foss's review against another edition
4.0
I can remain appreciative from a distance and pretend I am not too stupid for epics.
rdemos's review against another edition
4.0
I reread this anticipating a dry and dull reading experience, irrelevant to my life. It's true that Hesiod's writing is far from what people produce these days -- no New Yorker-esque politically intertextual submessages -- but it's full of beauty nonetheless. I especially like Works and Days, which is a kind of guide to farming and practical work. It's neat to think of Hesiod toiling away with his goats and vinyards and then recording his earthy wisdom with the new skill of writing. And it struck me as amazing that I could read this one man's ideas after thousands of years. Hooray for humanity!
freshlysqueezedcynic's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny