Hesíodo

Hesiod, also known as Hesíodo in Portuguese, was an ancient Greek poet whose work is among the earliest surviving examples of Western literature. He is traditionally placed in the late 8th to early 7th century BCE and is closely associated with the region of Ascra in Boeotia, although biographical details are scarce and often obscure.

Very little is known about Hesiod’s life beyond what can be inferred from his poetry. Scholarly dating varies, with some placing him around 750–650 BCE and others suggesting an early 7th-century date. The paucity of biographical sources means many aspects of his life remain uncertain, and some attributions of additional works are debated.

His two principal works have had a lasting impact. The Theogony presents a cosmogony and genealogy of the gods, outlining the origins of the world and divine succession. The Works and Days is a didactic poem addressed to a farmer named Perses, offering practical advice on agriculture, work, and moral conduct, interwoven with mythic episodes such as the stories of Prometheus, Pandora, and the Ages of Man. Fragments attributed to other works, including the Catalogue of Women and possibly The Shield of Heracles, are preserved in later writers and scholia.

Style and influence: Hesiod wrote in epic hexameters and combined mythic narrative with practical instruction. His works contributed to Greek religious thought, mythography, and the early development of Greek poetry, influencing later poets and the broader Western literary tradition.

Legacy: Alongside Homer, Hesiod is regarded as a foundational figure in ancient Greek literature, providing essential material on divine genealogy, cosmology, ethics, and rural life that shaped classical Greek culture.