Pandora, Pflug und Poesie

In the rural world described by Hesiod in his Works and Days, success requires much more than prosaic knowledge of agricultural work processes. Especially, the willingness to work and the awareness of the justice given to mankind by Zeus are, according to Hesiod, crucial criteria for living an appropriate life. Another closely related requirement is the knowledge of establishing and maintaining social and religious relationships. Only in recognizing and raising these intangible resources can a farmer extract and use material resources successfully. Applying the resource concept of the Collaborative Research Centre 1070 RESOURCECULTURES, this study explores the poetic presentation and evaluation of the socio-cultural foundations dealt with in the poem and examines the dynamics between them. It also tracks how Hesiod uses rural resources to highlight and to evaluate his self-image as a poet.