Hesiod's Cosmos

Description

Hesiod's Cosmos offers a comprehensive interpretation of both the Theogony and the Works and Days and demonstrates how the two Hesiodic poems must be read together as two halves of an integrated whole embracing both the divine and the human cosmos. After first offering a survey of the structure of both poems, Professor Clay reveals their mutually illuminating unity by offering detailed analyses of their respective poems, their teachings on the origins of the human race, and the two versions of the Prometheus myth. She then examines the role of human beings in the Theogony and the role of the gods in the Works and Days, as well as the position of the hybrid figures of monsters and heroes within the Hesiodic cosmos and in relation to the Hesiodic Catalogue of Women.

Jenny Strauss Clay is Professor of Classics at the University of Virginia. She is the author of The Wrath of Athena (1983; 0691065748) and The Politics of Olympus (1989; 0691067759).

'The writing is in general very accessible ... and the argument ... is always set out clearly.' JACT '... scholarly, lucid, serious.' Times Literary Supplement '... this remains a thoughtful book which repays careful study and will become a cornerstone of future Hesiodic scholarship.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review 'Clay's book is accessible and unpretentious, thoughtfully structured and full of insight. It will convince you that there is much to admire in Hesiod's works, and perhaps much to complement our student's study of Homer.' The London Association of Classical Teachers Newsletter 'This is a thought-provoking book, which deserves to be widely read.' Journal of Hellenic Studies 'Jenny Strauss Clay's excellent new book on Hesiod has the strength characteristic of all her work: she takes her text seriously ... richly rewarding and filled with intriguing and thought-provoking insights. Clay has provided us with an important new perspective on the Hesiodic corpus.' Hermathena '... this book constitutes an estimable and valuable contribution to scholarly debate on Hesiod, which leads me to strongly recommend it. It is informative, accurate, challenging and, so to speak, a 'fertilizer' both for new reflections on the several topics discussed and for promoting increased interest in trying to better understand a poet traditionally neglected and obscured by comparison with Homer. And both these results are, in my opinion, the most precious values an essay can have.' Rosanna Lauriola, University of Texas at San Antonio