Hesiod, << HEE see uhd or HEHS ee uhd, >> was a Greek epic poet who probably lived during the 700’s B.C. Scholars attribute two major poems, the Theogony and the Works and Days, to Hesiod. The Theogony combines traditional tales and Hesiod’s ideas about the creation of the world, the succession of divine rulers, and the genealogy of the Greek gods. It is one of the earliest sources of information about Greek religion. See Mythology (Greek mythology) .
In the Works and Days, Hesiod examined human life and set forth his moral values. He addressed the poem to his brother, Perses. The Works and Days explains that life is difficult and people must work hard in spite of the just rule of Zeus, the king of the gods. The poem then tells the story of Pandora (see Pandora ). The Works and Days also contains agricultural and moral advice to help people maintain a harmonious relationship with the gods. According to tradition, Hesiod was a farmer in Boeotia, a district of ancient Greece.
