Why an ancient Greek farmer wrote a poem to settle a family feud

Art · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Around 700 BC, the poet Hesiod composed a didactic poem to instruct his brother, Perses, on the virtues of hard work. Born from a bitter inheritance dispute and a desire to bypass corrupt judges, this agricultural almanac serves as a moral guide for living a life of honest, productive labor.

Works and Days is an 828-line poem written in dactylic hexameter that functions as both a practical farmer's almanac and a moral treatise. Hesiod, the author, found himself in a legal conflict with his brother, Perses, over their shared patrimony. Perses had squandered his inheritance and successfully bribed local lords to secure more than his fair share of the estate. Rather than offering more money, which he believed Perses would quickly waste, Hesiod wrote this poem to impart the wisdom of work as a sustainable path to prosperity.

The poem is set against a backdrop of agrarian crisis in mainland Greece, a period marked by colonial expansion in search of new land. Hesiod frames his advice through mythological aetiologies that explain the human condition, most notably the stories of Prometheus and Pandora, and the Myth of Five Ages. He describes a world where the gods have hidden the means of an easy livelihood, forcing humanity to endure toil and illness. The Myth of the Ages traces a decline from the peaceful Golden Age to the current, harsh Iron Age, which Hesiod predicts will eventually end in destruction when moral standards are completely abandoned.

Beyond its mythological foundations, the text provides specific, often superstitious, instructions for agricultural success. Hesiod offers guidance on everything from harvesting and sailing to marriage and the auspicious days for various tasks. He also warns against the 'bad' form of Strife, which fuels conflict in the agora, and encourages the 'good' form that inspires men to work honorably. By appealing to the justice of Zeus, Hesiod attempts to straighten the crooked paths of his brother and the corrupt kings who enabled his greed, grounding his moral philosophy in the necessity of daily, diligent labor.

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