A review by alanrussellfuller
Theogony and Works and Days by Hesiod

5.0

In Works and Days Hesiod also offers his brother extensive moralizing advice on how he should live his life. Here is an outline for Works and Days.

Intro. "Attend thou with eye and ear, and make judgements straight with righteousness."

A. Five ages of man
1. Gold - no trouble or toil
2. Silver - childish
3. Brass - strong and war like
4. Heroes - demi-gods
5. Iron - short lived

B. Hawk and Nightengale

C. Two ways judgement

D. Wisdom
1. Agricultural seasonal wisdom
2. Maritime seasonal wisdom

Closing "That man is happy and lucky in them who knows all these things and does his work without offending the deathless gods, who discerns the omens of birds and avoids transgressions."


Hesiod's Theogony describes the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods.

Outline
A. Muses - sing truth
B. Primordial Deities - Chaos, sky, earth, etc.
C. Genealogies of Titans - Titans and their offspring, Zeus seeks to swallow his children.
D. Zeus' Ascent to Power -Zeus and the "Hundred-Handers" defeat the Titans
1. Zeus casts the Titans deep into Tartaros.
2. Gaia and Tartaros conceive Typhoeus.
3. Zeus defeats Typhoeus and locks him in Tartaros
E. Zeus'/Olympian Genealogy - Zeus divides the Universe between sky, sea, and underworld
1. Zeus and his seven wives produce Fates and Muses
2. Zeus fathers Olympians with Poseidon and the Nereid Amphitrite
F. Mortals and Immortals