Theogony and Works and Days
Hesiod gave the Greeks their creation story and their work ethic in two poems that predate most of Greek literature.
“In the beginning there was Chaos.”
Why It Matters
Hesiod gave the Greeks their creation story and their work ethic in two poems that predate most of Greek literature. The Theogony organized the gods into a family tree that became the standard version of Greek mythology. Works and Days invented the idea that hard, honest labor has moral value — a concept that shaped Western civilization.
The 
Take
Personal reviewTheogeny- boring but awesome to standardize Greek myth.Works and days- weird mix of mythological, spiritual, and practical approach to farming as the days and seasons pass
Notable Quotes
“Before the gates of excellence the high gods have placed sweat; long is the road thereto and rough and steep at first.”