Hesiod
Hesiod
Hesiodwas a Greek poet generally thought by scholars to have been active between 750 and 650 BC, around the same time as Homer. He is generally regarded as the first written poet in the Western tradition to regard himself as an individual persona with an active role to play in his subject. Ancient authors credited Hesiod and Homer with establishing Greek religious customs. Modern scholars refer to him as a major source on Greek mythology, farming techniques, early economic thought,...
NationalityGreek
ProfessionPoet
inspirational matter timeliness
Timeliness is best in all matters.
success loss gains
Do not seek dishonest gains: dishonest gains are losses.
mean moments all-things
Preserve the mean; the opportune moment is best in all things.
men journey dawn
The dawn speeds a man on his journey, and speeds him too in his work.
trying mates neighborhood
Try to take for a mate a person of your own neighborhood.
real speak knows
We know how to speak many falsehoods that resemble real things, but we know, when we will, how to speak true things.
kings people evil
So the people will pay the penalty for their kings' presumption, who, by devising evil, turn justice from her path with tortuous speech.
gains ruins equal
Do not gain basely; base gain is equal to ruin.
mother sometimes stepmothers
A day is sometimes our mother, sometimes our stepmother.
sports lying sweat
Badness you can get easily, in quantity. The road is smooth and lies close by. But in front of excellence the immortal gods have put sweat, and long and steep is the way to do it, and rough at first. But when you come to the top, then it is easy, even though it is hard.
sisterhood sorrow age
Whoever, fleeing marriage and the sorrows that women cause, does not wish to wed comes to a deadly old age.
love-you giving helping
Love those who love you, help those you help you, and give to those who give to you.
money mortals wretched
Money is life to us wretched mortals.
unproductive
No day is wholly unproductive of good.