Hesiod's Cosmos

by Jenny Strauss Clay

This study reveals the unity of Hesiod's vision of the Cosmos by reading both his poems as two complementary halves of a whole embracing the human and divine cosmos. In the Theogony and Works and Days, Hesiod, roughly contemporary with Homer, does not describe the deeds of the heroes. He provides instead the earliest comprehensive account of the genesis of the Greek gods and the nature of human life that became the foundation for later Greek literature and philosophy.

Genres: Nonfiction

Hardcover

First published October 29, 1999

Reviews

[Syahira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually took time reading this dissertation than I do with the actual Hesiod's Theogony. Not very unlike a university dissertation, this is a comprehensive literature review of the Hesiod's famous work in classical literature. I for one, being Asian, can't read Greek nor I could understand any much of certain paragraphs and it get confusing and more confusing as historical classics always do.

Hesiod's Cosmos is almost like a PhD thesis. With annotation and appendices, and often providing examples and translations with the original Greek, it is a reference guide that studies the depth of Theogony and Workds and Days. Both the actual dissertation and the bottom footnotes, complements the academical style down with the full references of the article that the writer obtain.

If you ever wanted more out of the classic, you should get this book instead. Richly informative, structured and at most time, convenient reference to those who need to find the hidden things inside the literature without being wayward about the whole genesis of Ancient Greek's theology.

However, if you're looking for light reading, this is appropriately an academic text as the author is a professor Hence, the density of it. There are other reference guide available in the market, but an essay on Theogony by someone who is obviously an expert in the field, this is priceless even to me who is a science major.

[N Perrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illuminating monograph. Offers a thorough and rich reconstruction of Hesiod's universe: the structure of the poems, the meaning of their inconsistencies, the cosmic dynamic of the male and female, the difference between the divine and the human, the mixing of things, and the eschatological vision.

The Theogeny is the story told from the view from Olympus, a story of progress and consolidation under Zeus. Works and Days is the anthropocentric view. The gods are invisible and cruel. Our world shrinks and crumbles, our cities, our households, our bodies collapse exhausted before the sheer indifference of the cosmos.

With the passing of heroes, the human race can only degenerate from the beasts we were raised from.

Humanity has no hope; the gods watch with bemused interest as we perish under Zeus' guidance. He does not destroy us from anger but to relieve the groaning of mother Earth straining under our weight. To stabilize the cosmos, humankind must perish.

An excellent cosmological take, perhaps even better than Homer.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommend. The strongest feature of this book is its study of Theogony and Works & Days as complimentary texts. Good introduction to Hesiod for students and anyone interested in mythology or the history of religion. It was refreshing to read a scholarly book that doesn't remind me a hastily revised dissertation. Best quote: "Poets, not priests, composed ancient Greek theology." Close second: "Hesiod synthesized the various theogenic traditions into a Panhellenic epos." If you enjoy Hesiod, read The Homeric Hymns.

[Sonia · Rating 2 out of 5]

For some reason her writing style screams "REEDIE" to me. But that's not a bad thing.