Hesiod

Apostolos Athanassakis (Santa Barbara City College)

Ed. by Vaios Liapis, Open University of Cyprus
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.1: Greek Writing and Culture: Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Imperial, -800--100.
Vol. editors: Jonathan Burgess (University of Toronto), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Vaios Liapis (Open University of Cyprus), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Mali Skotheim (Ashoka University), Laura Swift (The Open University)

Dates

Born c. -700
Died c. -640
Activity c. -680-c. -640

Places

Born in Ancient Greece
Active in Ancient Greece

Activities

Primary

Poet

Other

Religious writer

Resources

Askra, Hesiod’s birthplace in Boeotia (central Greece), is situated at a short distance from its modern counterpart, the charming village of Palaiopanagia. Its slopes, covered with lush vineyards, face “god-haunted” Helicon, and the rectangular garrison that sits at the very top of the gentle town hill, the Hesiodic Acropolis.

Hesiod speaks in the first person; he is the first Greek epic poet to do so. He talks about his trip to the island of Euboea, where he performed for the funeral games of Amphidamas and won a great trophy. His father, an impoverished sea trader, came to Askra from the city of Kyme in Asia Minor. All of his poetry is didactic and is usually classified as “wisdom literature” (West 1978:3-25).

H…

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2266 words

Citation: Athanassakis, Apostolos. "Hesiod". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 May 2011 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2114, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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