Hesiod > Quotes

“From the Heliconian Muses let us begin to sing, who hold the great and holy mount of Helicon, and dance on soft feet about the deep-blue spring and the altar of the almighty son of Cronos, and, when they have washed their tender bodies in Permessus or in the Horse's Spring or Olmeius, make their fair, lovely dances upon highest Helicon and move with vigorous feet. Thence they arise and go abroad by night, veiled in thick mist, and utter their song with lovely voice, praising Zeus the aegis-holder and queenly Hera of Argos who walks on golden sandals and the daughter of Zeus the aegis-holder bright-eyed Athene, and Phoebus Apollo, and Artemis who delights in arrows, and Poseidon the earth-holder who shakes the earth, and reverend Themis and quick-glancing Aphrodite, and Hebe with the crown of gold, and fair Dione, Leto, Iapetus, and Cronos the crafty counsellor, Eos and great Helius and bright Selene, Earth too, and great Oceanus, and dark Night, and the holy race of all the other deathless ones that are for ever. And one day they taught Hesiod glorious song while he was shepherding his lambs under holy Helicon, and this word first the goddesses said to me—the Muses of Olympus, daughters of Zeus who holds the aegis: 'Shepherds of the wilderness, wretched things of shame, mere bellies, we know how to speak many false things as though they were true; but we know, when we will, to utter true things'.”
― Hesiod, Theogony / Works and Days

“And the Fates [Night] bore, and merciless punishing Furies who prosecute the transgressions of men and gods—never do the goddesses cease from their terrible wrath until they have paid the sinner his due.”
― Hesiod, Theogony / Works and Days

“Another time for men to go sailing is in spring when a man first sees leaves on the topmost shoot of a fig-tree as large as the foot-print that a crow makes; then the sea is passable, and this is the spring sailing time.”
― Hesiod, Theogony / Works and Days

“For the gods keep hidden from men the means of life. Else you would easily do work enough in a day to supply you for a full year even without working; soon would you put away your rudder over the smoke, and the fields worked by ox and sturdy mule would run to waste. But Zeus in the anger of his heart hid it, because Prometheus the crafty deceived him; therefore he planned sorrow and mischief against men. He hid fire; but that the noble son of Iapetus stole again for men from Zeus the counsellor in a hollow fennel-stalk, so that Zeus who delights in thunder did not see it. But afterwards Zeus who gathers the clouds said to him in anger: `Son of Iapetus, surpassing all in cunning, you are glad that you have outwitted me and stolen fire -- a great plague to you yourself and to men that shall be. But I will give men as the price for fire an evil thing in which they may all be glad of heart while they embrace their own destruction.”
― Hesiod, Work and Days

“From the Heliconian Muses, let us now begin the song
Of those who hold the great and sacred hill of Helicon,
And dance on tender feet around the dark spring in a row,
And round about the altar of the son of Kronos go;
And when in the Permessos they have bathed their soft, young skin,
Or sacred stream Olmeios or the fountain Hippocrene,
They make their dancing chorus on the heights of Helicon­ --
So beautiful, beguiling, as their feet glide swiftly on.”
― Hesiod

“Fallow land is kind to children, and keeps off the hexes.”
― Hesiod

“(...) ὧδ᾽ ἔρδειν, καὶ ἔργον ἐπ᾽ ἔργῳ ἐργάζεσθαι.”
― Hesiod, Work and Days

“He harms himself who does harm to another, and the evil plan is most harmful to the planner.”
― Hesiod

“He does mischief to himself who does mischief to another, and evil planned harms the plotter most.”
― Hesiod, The Complete Hesiod Collection

“Їх є три тисячі Океанід тих, дів струнконогих.
По суходолу вони та в глибинах солоного моря,
Світле потомство богинь, усюди порозселялись.
Стілький й інших є Рік шумковлинних, синів Океана,
Що привела їх на світ достойна пошани Тетіда.
Смертній людині годі усі ті ймена хзні знати,
Кожен знає своїх, при яких він живе, поіменно.”
― Hesiod, Theogony, Works and Days, and the Shield of Heracles

“Observe due measure, for timing is in all things the most important factor.”
― Hesiod

“Amad a quienes aman, con el fin de ser amados por ellos.”
― Hesiod, El Escudo de Heracles e Idolos de Mosco

“For Justice beats Outrage when she comes at length to the end of the race.”
― Hesiod, Hesiod / Homeric Hymns / Epic Cycle / Homerica

“One who delays his work is always wrestling with ruin.”
― Hesiod, Work and Days

“When quarrel and strife arose among the immortals, if one of them that dwells on Olympus speaks false, Zeus sends Iris to bring the gods' great oath from far off in a golden jug, the celebrated golden water that drops from a high, sheer cliff and, far below the wide-pathed earth, flows from the holy river through dark night, a branch of Oceanus. A tenth part is her share: nine parts Oceanus winds round the earth and the broad back of the sea with his silver eddies, and falls into the brine, while that one part issues forth from the cliff, a great bane to the gods.”
― Hesiod, Theogony

“А коли пізній зробиш посів, то ліки й на те є:
Лиш перший раз закує, у дувняку десь, зозуля,
Втішивши серце смертних людей на землі неозорій,
Зевс на третій день задощить і дощитиме, поки
Врівень не стане з копитом вола, - ні більше, ні менше.
Ось тоді пізній орач - із раннім зрівнятися може.”
― Hesiod, Hesiod: Works And Days:

“...and Eros, fairest among the deathless gods, who unnerves the limbs and overcomes the mind and wise counsels of all gods and all men within them.”
― Hesiod, Theogony

“The road to virtue is long and goes steep up hill, hard climbing at first, but the last of it, when you get to the summit (if you get there) is easy going after the hard part.”
― Hesiod, Theogony / Works and Days