Hesiod's "Works And Days" And Virgil's "The Georgics": Working The Land

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such high esteem by Hesiod when
he writes, "When ploughing-time arrives, make haste to plough."(pg. 73 l.
456) Constantly, Hesiod is making references to work ethic, describing
idlers as men who will "wrestle with ruin all their days."(pg. 72 l. 407)
The concept of idlers suffering at the hands of the gods surfaces
frequently, as the lazy man is despised by both gods and men. In addition
to the moral issues, Hesiod also focuses on the actualities of farming. He
is constantly informing the reader on the approach to farming, and what to
do during certain times of the year as well as what to do in certain
situations. For instance, in the chosen passage, Hesiod writes, "And strike
the oxen as they tug the straps. A slave should follow after with a stick
to hide the seed and disappoint the birds."(pg.74 ll. 469-71) Here, Hesiod
is simply describing the ploughing of the land and the deposit of seeds.
All these explanations are conducive to the sole purpose of attaining
plentiful stores. ...

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