hesiod, the homeric hymns, and homerica-第3部分

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y　dolphins　and　buried　at　Oenoe　（or；　according　to　Plutarch；　at　Ascra）：　at　a　later　time　his　bones　were　removed　to　Orchomenus。　　The　whole　story　is　full　of　miraculous　elements；　and　the　various　authorities　disagree　on　numerous　points　of　detail。　　The　tradition　seems；　however；　to　be　constant　in　declaring　that　Hesiod　was　murdered　and　buried　at　Oenoe；　and　in　this　respect　it　is　at　least　as　old　as　the　time　of　Thucydides。　　In　conclusion　it　may　be　worth　while　to　add　the　graceful　epigram　of　Alcaeus　of　Messene　（〃Palatine　Anthology〃；　vii　55）。

　　　　　〃When　in　the　shady　Locrian　grove　Hesiod　lay　dead；　the　Nymphs　　　　　　washed　his　body　with　water　from　their　own　springs；　and　　　　　　heaped　high　his　grave；　and　thereon　the　goat…herds　sprinkled　　　　　　offerings　of　milk　mingled　with　yellow…honey：　such　was　the　　　　　　utterance　of　the　nine　Muses　that　he　breathed　forth；　that　old　　　　　　man　who　had　tasted　of　their　pure　springs。〃


The　Hesiodic　Poems

The　Hesiodic　poems　fall　into　two　groups　according　as　they　are　didactic　（technical　or　gnomic）　or　genealogical：　the　first　group　centres　round　the　〃Works　and　Days〃；　the　second　round　the　〃Theogony〃。

I。　〃The　Works　and　Days〃：　The　poem　consists　of　four　main　sections。　a）　After　the　prelude；　which　Pausanias　failed　to　find　in　the　ancient　copy　engraved　on　lead　seen　by　him　on　Mt。　Helicon；　comes　a　general　exhortation　to　industry。　　It　begins　with　the　allegory　of　the　two　Strifes；　who　stand　for　wholesome　Emulation　and　Quarrelsomeness　respectively。　　Then　by　means　of　the　Myth　of　Pandora　the　poet　shows　how　evil　and　the　need　for　work　first　arose；　and　goes　on　to　describe　the　Five　Ages　of　the　World；　tracing　the　gradual　increase　in　evil；　and　emphasizing　the　present　miserable　condition　of　the　world；　a　condition　in　which　struggle　is　inevitable。　　Next；　after　the　Fable　of　the　Hawk　and　Nightingale；　which　serves　as　a　condemnation　of　violence　and　injustice；　the　poet　passes　on　to　contrast　the　blessing　which　Righteousness　brings　to　a　nation；　and　the　punishment　which　Heaven　sends　down　upon　the　violent；　and　the　section　concludes　with　a　series　of　precepts　on　industry　and　prudent　conduct　generally。　　b）　The　second　section　shows　how　a　man　may　escape　want　and　misery　by　industry　and　care　both　in　agriculture　and　in　trading　by　sea。　　Neither　subject；　it　should　be　carefully　noted；　is　treated　in　any　way　comprehensively。　　c）　The　third　part　is　occupied　with　miscellaneous　precepts　relating　mostly　to　actions　of　domestic　and　everyday　life　and　conduct　which　have　little　or　no　connection　with　one　another。　　d）　The　final　section　is　taken　up　with　a　series　of　notices　on　the　days　of　the　month　which　are　favourable　or　unfavourable　for　agricultural　and　other　operations。

It　is　from　the　second　and　fourth　sections　that　the　poem　takes　its　name。　　At　first　sight　such　a　work　seems　to　be　a　miscellany　of　myths；　technical　advice；　moral　precepts；　and　folklore　maxims　without　any　unifying　principle；　and　critics　have　readily　taken　the　view　that　the　whole　is　a　canto　of　fragments　or　short　poems　worked　up　by　a　redactor。　　Very　probably　Hesiod　used　much　material　of　a　far　older　date；　just　as　Shakespeare　used　the　〃Gesta　Romanorum〃；　old　chronicles；　and　old　plays；　but　close　inspection　will　show　that　the　〃Works　and　Days〃　has　a　real　unity　and　that　the　picturesque　title　is　somewhat　misleading。　　The　poem　has　properly　no　technical　object　at　all；　but　is　moral：　its　real　aim　is　to　show　men　how　best　to　live　in　a　difficult　world。　　So　viewed　the　four　seemingly　independent　sections　will　be　found　to　be　linked　together　in　a　real　bond　of　unity。　　Such　a　connection　between　the　first　and　second　sections　is　easily　seen；　but　the　links　between　these　and　the　third　and　fourth　are　no　less　real：　to　make　life　go　tolerably　smoothly　it　is　most　important　to　be　just　and　to　know　how　to　win　a　livelihood；　but　happiness　also　largely　depends　on　prudence　and　care　both　in　social　and　home　life　as　well；　and　not　least　on　avoidance　of　actions　which　offend　supernatural　powers　and　bring　ill…luck。　　And　finally；　if　your　industry　is　to　be　fruitful；　you　must　know　what　days　are　suitable　for　various　kinds　of　work。　　This　moral　aim　　as　opposed　to　the　currently　accepted　technical　aim　of　the　poem　　explains　the　otherwise　puzzling　incompleteness　of　the　instructions　on　farming　and　seafaring。

Of　the　Hesiodic　poems　similar　in　character　to　the　〃Works　and　Days〃；　only　the　scantiest　fragments　survive。　　One　at　least　of　these；　the　〃Divination　by　Birds〃；　was；　as　we　know　from　Proclus；　attached　to　the　end　of　the　〃Works〃　until　it　was　rejected　by　Apollonius　Rhodius：　doubtless　it　continued　the　same　theme　of　how　to　live；　showing　how　man　can　avoid　disasters　by　attending　to　the　omens　to　be　drawn　from　birds。　　It　is　possible　that　the　〃Astronomy〃　or　〃Astrology〃　（as　Plutarch　calls　it）　was　in　turn　appended　to　the　〃Divination〃。　　It　certainly　gave　some　account　of　the　principal　constellations；　their　dates　of　rising　and　setting；　and　the　legends　connected　with　them；　and　probably　showed　how　these　influenced　human　affairs　or　might　be　used　as　guides。　　The　〃Precepts　of　Chiron〃　was　a　didactic　poem　made　up　of　moral　and　practical　precepts；　resembling　the　gnomic　sections　of　the　〃Works　and　Days〃；　addressed　by　the　Centaur　Chiron　to　his　pupil　Achilles。

Even　less　is　known　of　the　poem　called　the　〃Great　Works〃：　the　title　implies　that　it　was　similar　in　subject　to　the　second　section　of　the　〃Works　and　Days〃；　but　longer。　　Possible　references　in　Roman　writers　（6）　indicate　that　among　the　subjects　dealt　with　were　the　cultivation　of　the　vine　and　olive　and　various　herbs。　　The　inclusion　of　the　judgment　of　Rhadamanthys　（frag。　1）：　‘If　a　man　sow　evil；　he　shall　reap　evil；'　indicates　a　gnomic　element；　and　the　note　by　Proclus　（7）　on　〃Works　and　Days〃　126　makes　it　likely　that　metals　also　were　dealt　with。　　It　is　therefore　possible　that　another　lost　poem；　the　〃Idaean　Dactyls〃；　which　dealt　with　the　discovery　of　metals　and　their　working；　was　appended　to；　or　even　was　a　part　of　the　〃Great　Works〃；　just　as　the　〃Divination　by　Birds〃　was　appended　to　the　〃Works　and　Days〃。

II。　The　Genealogical　Poems：　The　only　complete　poem　of　the　genealogical　group　is　the　〃Theogony〃；　which　traces　from　the　beginning　of　things　the　descent　and　vicissitudes　of　the　families　of　the　gods。　　Like　the　〃Works　and　Days〃　this　poem　has　no　dramatic　plot；　but　its　unifying　principle　is　clear　and　simple。　　The　gods　are　classified　chronologically：　as　soon　as　one　generation　is　catalogued；　the　poet　goes　on　to　detail　the　offspring　of　each　member　of　that　generation。　　Exceptions　are　only　made　in　special　cases；　as　the　Sons　of　Iapetus　（ll。　507…616）　whose　place　is　accounted　for　by　their　treatment　by　Zeus。　　The　chief　landmarks　in　the　poem　are　as　follows：　after　the　first　103　lines；　which　contain　at　least　three　distinct　preludes；　three　primeval　beings　are　introduced；　Chaos；　Earth；　and　Eros　　here　an　indefinite　reproductive　influence。　　Of　these　three；　Earth　produces　Heaven　to　whom　she　bears　the　Titans；　the　Cyclopes　and　the　hundred…handed　giants。　　The　Titans；　oppressed　by　their　father；　revolt　at　the　instigation　of　Earth；　under　the　leadership　of　Cronos；　and　as　a　result　Heaven　and　Earth　are　separated；　and　Cronos　reigns　over　the　universe。　　Cronos　knowing　that　he　is　destined　to　be　overcome　by　one　of　his　children；　swallows　each　one　of　them　as　they　are　born；　until　Ze