n.
flourished 0441; 700 BC
Greek poet.
One of the earliest Greek poets, he is often called the father of Greek didactic poetry. A native of Boeotia, in central Greece, he may have been a professional reciter of poetry. Two complete epics have survived: the Theogony , relating stories of the gods, and the Works and Days , describing peasant life and expressing his views on the proper conduct of men. His works reveal his essentially serious outlook on life and portray a less glamorous world than Homer 's. His poems won renown during his lifetime, and the power of his name was such that epics by others were later attributed to him.