Works and Days
“Works and Days” by Hesiod is a significant early work of Greek poetry, presented in a new verse translation by Alicia Stallings. Published by Penguin Publishing Group on March 13, 2018, this reprint edition spans 112 pages and is available in English. The text addresses themes of labor and rural life, recounting the myth of Pandora’s box and reflecting on humanity’s decline since the Golden Age, while also serving as a critique directed at Hesiod’s brother.
Readers will find that this translation revitalizes Hesiod’s vivid poetry, making it accessible to contemporary audiences. The work is not only a celebration of work but also a rich exploration of ancient Greek culture and mythology. As part of the Penguin Classics series, this edition is designed to provide an authoritative text, ensuring that the essence of Hesiod’s message resonates with both new and seasoned readers of classical literature.
Official synopsis Publisher
A new verse translation by award-winning poet Alicia Stallings of one of the foundational works of ancient Greece
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 Pandora’s box and humanity’s decline since the Golden Age, and can be read as a celebration of rural life and a hymn to work. Alicia Stallings’s new translation breathes new life into Hesiod’s work, rendering its vivid poetry for a new generation of classics readers.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,800 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
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