Works and Days: A Translation and Commentary for the Social Sciences

By Hesiod

Book Overview

This new, annotated translation of Hesiod's Works and Days is a collaboration between David W. Tandy, a classicist, and Walter Neale, an economist and economic historian. Hesiod was an ancient Greek poet whose Works and Days discusses agricultural practices and society in general. Classicists and ancient historians have turned to Works and Days for its insights on Greek mythology and religion. The poem also sheds light on economic history and ancient agriculture, and is a good resource for social scientists interested in these areas. This translation emphasizes the activities and problems of a practicing agriculturist as well as the larger, changing political and economic institutions of the early archaic period.

The authors provide a clear, accurate translation along with notes aimed at a broad audience. The introductory essay discusses the changing economic, political and trading world of the eighth and seventh centuries B.C.E., while the notes present the range and possible meanings of important Greek terms and references in the poem and highlight areas of ambiguity in our understanding of Works and Days.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0520203836
• ISBN13: 9780520203839
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: University of California Press
• Length: 100 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.8" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Works and Days Commentary

I'm a non-Ancient Greek reader who was looking for a good thorough commentary on Hesiod's "Works and Days". I tried a couple of different versions and this Tandy-Neale text was the best one that I came across. It features an excellent introductory essay and super detailed explanatory notes that run opposite the translated text. Don't let the technical sounding subtitle, "A Translation and Commentary for the Social Sciences", scare you off, the layman who is interested in the poem from primarily a literary perspective has a lot to gain from this book. Definitely recommended.

Rare source: concerns of common man and farmer in 600 BC

149 pages, about 40 pages for the work, while the rest comprises the introduction, footnotes and the index. The work is a rare example that describes concerns of the common Greek around the 7th century BC. Hesiod addresses the work to his brother, and defines rules for proper conduct along with a description of the ways of a farmer, encouraging his brother to not become indolent. The footnotes are presented opposite the text on each page which allows for easy reference. Some references to Hesiod's Theogony might make that a worthwhile read before this one.