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Hesiod: Works and Days

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Hesiod: Works and Days
    Click to Expand/Collapse Option Complete text
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionProoemium
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionTwo kinds of Strife
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionStrife in courts
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionPrometheus
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionPandora
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionEpimetheus
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Golden Age
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Silver Age
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Bronze Age
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Heroic Age
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionThe Iron Age
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionFable of the Nightingale
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionDike
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionZeus’ Punishment
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionEye of Zeus
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionCatalogue of Virtues
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionGifts and Friendship
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionOikos
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionPloughing
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionReaping
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionWinter
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionSpring
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionSummer
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionAutumn
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionSailing
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionSailing the ocean
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionMarriage and Honour
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionFestivals
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionReputation
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionCalendar
Click to Expand/Collapse OptionEnd
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εἰ δέ σε ναυτιλίης δυσπεμφέλου ἵμερος αἱρεῖ,
εὖτ᾽ ἂν Πληιάδες σθένος ὄβριμον Ὠαρίωνος
φεύγουσαι πίπτωσιν ἐς ἠεροειδέα πόντον,
δὴ τότε παντοίων ἀνέμων θυίουσιν ἀῆται:
καὶ τότε μηκέτι νῆας ἔχειν ἐνὶ οἴνοπι πόντῳ,
γῆν ἐργάζεσθαι μεμνημένος, ὥς σε κελεύω.
νῆα δ᾽ ἐπ᾽ ἠπείρου ἐρύσαι πυκάσαι τε λίθοισι
πάντοθεν, ὄφρ᾽ ἴσχωσ᾽ ἀνέμων μένος ὑγρὸν ἀέντων,
χείμαρον ἐξερύσας, ἵνα μὴ πύθῃ Διὸς ὄμβρος.
ὅπλα δ᾽ ἐπάρμενα πάντα τεῷ ἐγκάτθεο οἴκῳ
εὐκόσμως στολίσας νηὸς πτερὰ ποντοπόροιο:
πηδάλιον δ᾽ ἐυεργὲς ὑπὲρ καπνοῦ κρεμάσασθαι.
αὐτὸς δ᾽ ὡραῖον μίμνειν πλόον, εἰσόκεν ἔλθῃ:
καὶ τότε νῆα θοὴν ἅλαδ᾽ ἑλκέμεν, ἐν δέ τε φόρτον
ἄρμενον ἐντύνασθαι, ἵν᾽ οἴκαδε κέρδος ἄρηαι,
ὥς περ ἐμός τε πατὴρ καὶ σός, μέγα νήπιε Πέρσῃ,
πλωίζεσκ᾽ ἐν νηυσί, βίου κεχρημένος ἐσθλοῦ:
ὅς ποτε καὶ τῇδ᾽ ἦλθε, πολὺν διὰ πόντον ἀνύσσας,
Κύμην Αἰολίδα προλιπών, ἐν νηὶ μελαίνῃ:
οὐκ ἄφενος φεύγων οὐδὲ πλοῦτόν τε καὶ ὄλβον,
ἀλλὰ κακὴν πενίην, τὴν Ζεὺς ἄνδρεσσι δίδωσιν:
νάσσατο δ᾽ ἄγχ᾽ Ἑλικῶνος ὀιζυρῇ ἐνὶ κώμῃ,
Ἄσκρῃ, χεῖμα κακῇ, θέρει ἀργαλέῃ, οὐδέ ποτ᾽ ἐσθλῇ. 
(Sailing 618-640) But if desire for uncomfortable sea-faring seize you; when the Pleiades plunge into the misty sea to escape Orion’s rude strength, then truly gales of all kinds rage. Then keep ships no longer on the sparkling sea, but bethink you to till the land as I bid you. Haul up your ship upon the land and pack it closely with stones all round to keep off the power of the winds which blow damply, and draw out the bilge-plug so that the rain of heaven may not rot it. Put away all the tackle and fittings in your house, and stow the wings of the sea-going ship neatly, and hang up the well-shaped rudder over the smoke. You yourself wait until the season for sailing is come, and then haul your swift ship down to the sea and stow a convenient cargo in it, so that you may bring home profit, even as your father and mine, foolish Perses, used to sail on shipboard because he lacked sufficient livelihood. And one day he came to this very place crossing over a great stretch of sea; he left Aeolian Cyme and fled, not from riches and substance, but from wretched poverty which Zeus lays upon men, and he settled near Helicon in a miserable hamlet, Ascra, which is bad in winter, sultry in summer, and good at no time. 
τύνη δ᾽, ὦ Πέρση, ἔργων μεμνημένος εἶναι
ὡραίων πάντων, περὶ ναυτιλίης δὲ μάλιστα.
νῆ᾽ ὀλίγην αἰνεῖν, μεγάλῃ δ᾽ ἐνὶ φορτία θέσθαι.
μείζων μὲν φόρτος, μεῖζον δ᾽ ἐπὶ κέρδεϊ κέρδος
ἔσσεται, εἴ κ᾽ ἄνεμοί γε κακὰς ἀπέχωσιν ἀήτας. 
(641-645) But you, Perses, remember all works in their season but sailing especially. Admire a small ship, but put your freight in a large one; for the greater the lading, the greater will be your piled gain, if only the winds will keep back their harmful gales. 
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