The Art of the Lyre “Whoso with wit and wisdom enquires of it cunningly, him it teaches through its sound all manner of things that delight the mind, being easily played with gentle familiarities, for it abhors toilsome drudgery; but whoso in ignorance enquires of it violently, to him it chatters mere vanity and foolishness.” The Contest of Homer and Hesiod Hesiod: ‘Homer, son of Meles, if indeed the Muses, […]
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“Theogony” by Hesiod
The War of the Titans Hesiod wrote that the war between the Titans from Mount Othrys and the Olympians lasted for ten years, but he didn’t give an explanation of the cause or effect of the war, except that the Olympians defeated the Titans and became sovereign rulers of the world. “The life-giving earth crashed around in burning, and the vast wood crackled loud with fire all about. All the […]
Read more“Works and Days” by Hesiod
The Origin of Pandora Prometheus stole fire for men from Zeus in a hollow fennel-stalk, and Zeus in anger gave men as the price for fire “an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction”. Zeus sent “the gift” to Prometheus’ scatter-brained brother Epimetheus, who took it despite Prometheus’ bidding to never take a gift of Zeus, and evil came upon […]
Read more“The Shield of Heracles” by Hesiod
The Birth of Heracles But the father of men and gods was forming another scheme in his heart, to beget one to defend against destruction gods and men who eat bread. So he arose from Olympus by night pondering guile in the deep of his heart, and yearned for the love of the well-girded woman….So in one night Zeus shared the bed and love of the neat-ankled daughter of Electyron […]
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