Works and Days, Hesiod

TLS BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2018, selected by Rachel Hadas and Emily Wilson

The ancient Greeks revered Hesiod, believing he had beaten Homer in a singing contest and that after his dead body was thrown to sea, it was brought back by dolphins. His Works and Days is one of the most important early works of Greek poetry. Ostensibly written by the poet to chide his lazy brother, it recounts the story of Pandoras box and humanitys decline since the Golden Age, and can be read as a celebration of rural life and a hymn to work. Alicia Stallingss new translation breathes new life into Hesiods work, rendering its vivid poetry for a new generation of classics readers.