Works and Days

The Works and Days is an 800-line didactic poem by the ancient Greek poet Hesiod, exploring the intricacies of daily life and labor through allegory, fable, and personal history. Designed as a farmer's almanac, it provides practical agricultural guidance to his brother Perses while also offering insights into the ethics and superstitions of archaic Greek society. Notably, the poem features early versions of the myths of Prometheus and Pandora, as well as the concept of the Ages of Man, shedding light on the human condition's challenges.