Source recordAncient text
Works and Days
Hesiod · c. 700 BCE · Ancient Greek
Ancient text
Works and Days
Hesiod
A didactic poem containing the myth of Prometheus, Pandora, and the Five Ages of Man. Provides insight into Greek religious and moral philosophy.
About this work
A didactic poem containing the myth of Prometheus, Pandora, and the Five Ages of Man. Provides insight into Greek religious and moral philosophy.
Where to start
Read lines 42-105 (the myth of Prometheus, Pandora, and the jar) followed directly by lines 109-201 (the Five Ages of Man) to understand Hesiod's view of the human condition.
Figures in the text
Heroes and divinities who feature prominently, with where they appear.
Deities and immortals
ZeusLines 42-105Supreme Olympian ruler who hides fire and prosperity from humankind following Prometheus's deception
PrometheusLines 48-58Titan champion of mortals who steals fire in a hollow fennel stalk, inciting Zeus's retribution
HermesLines 67-85Messenger god who guides Pandora to Epimetheus and instills within her a shameless mind and deceitful nature
AthenaLines 72-76Goddess of wisdom who clothes Pandora in silver robes and teaches her the art of weaving
AphroditeLines 65-67Goddess of love who sheds irresistible grace and heartbreaking desire upon Pandora's head
Key scenes
Turning points of the work, in reading order.
The Fashioning of Pandora
At Zeus's order, Hephaestus kneads water and clay into a beautiful maiden, Athena robes her, Aphrodite bestows charm, and Hermes names her Pandora because all Olympians gave her a gift: a beautiful plague for men.
The Opening of the Storage Jar
Pandora removes the great lid of her jar, dispersing plagues, miseries, and weary labor among mortals, slamming the rim shut while only Hope (Elpis) remains within.
The Myth of the Five Ages of Man
Hesiod narrates the moral decline of humanity across five epochs: the peaceful Golden Age, foolish Silver Age, violent Bronze Age, noble Heroic Age at Troy and Thebes, and the bitter Iron Age.
Stories drawn from it
Retellings in the atlas that quote or cite this work.
About this record
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Dates and authorship follow standard scholarly references; for many ancient works both are approximate or disputed.