Considered by some interpreters as the beginning of Greek philosophical reflections regarding justice and moral action (cf. e.g. Heitsch 2002, 17–37; and, more cautiously, Curd 2016), Hesiod’s

(

) was likely composed in its current form during the first half of the 7th century BCE, and escapes any traditional poetic classification (Rossi & Ercolani 2011, 88). Indeed, different aspects merge in it (cf. Ercolani 2010, 26–28, 39–42). From a purely formal point of view, it is an epic poem, since it is composed in the traditional epic verse, the hexameter. In addition, a good third of the poem offers advice with regards to social and moral behavior, often in the form of aphorisms. To this extent,

belongs to that genre of wisdom literature quite common in the Ancient…

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Citation: De Brasi, Diego. "Works and Days". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 December 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13373, accessed 21 November 2024.]

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