The Role of Women in Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days

744 Words2 Pages

The role of women in Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days is outstandingly subordinate. There are a number of times in Hesiod's text that despises women, being mortal, immortal, or flesh-eating monsters. The overall impression of women from Theogony and Works and Days, leads one to believe that Hesiod is a misogynist. The very creation of women was set as a punishment to man because Prometheus, son of Iapetos, tried to trick Zeus into eating bones and then, with the tube of a fennel, steals fire to give to mankind. Zeus then proclaimed, "To set against the fire I shall give them an affliction in which they will all delight as they embrace their own misfortune." Out of Zeus' anger came Pandora, the first woman. Zeus ordered Hephaestus to mold women from the earth and water, Athene to dress and adorn her, Temptation to give her necklaces of gold, and Hermes to implant a bitch's mind and a thief's temper. Hesiod describes women as a "precipitous trap, more than mankind can manage." Hesiod states, "even so as a bane for mortal men has high-thundering Zeus created women, conspirators in causing difficulty." And thus the first woman was named Pandora, Allgift,-"a calamity for men who live by bread." And so Pandora and all the evils of the world, except Hope, were released into the world by a punishing Zeus. Hesiod explains how formerly the tribes of men lived "remote from ills, without harsh toil and the grievous sickness that are deadly to men." From Pandora descended the female sex, "a great affliction to mortals as they dwell with their husbands- no fit partners for accursed Poverty, but only for Plenty." An analogy is then used to compare women to drones who, according to Hesiod, feed off hard-working bees all day. Hesiod immed... ... middle of paper ... ...ystem and consequently formed a prejudice of women that would last for centuries. Through Theogony and Works and Days, Hesiod expressed a hostility toward women that was endemic throughout Greek antiquity. His misogyny is best revealed through his story of Pandora, the creation of women. The very idea that women were created as an affliction for mankind proves that Hesiod looked down upon women with disdain. The depiction of Echidna as a beautiful woman and terrible beast represents his vision of the female race. His compassion for anti-feminist ethics and absolute distrust of women is present in both his books. His misogynistic random sucker-punches at the opposite sex were common belief in ancient Greece. "He who believes a woman, believes cheaters." His teachings of women were common belief in ancient Greece and his prejudices were completely misogynistic.

Show More
Related

  • Tensions In Hesiod's Theogony

    355 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Hesiod’s Theogony, the tensions within a family seem to be an intensified version of issues that are relatable to people. The results of these tensions are also dramatic and have a tendency to have a fulfillment of the fears that were causing the tensions as a result. This implies that there is a natural cycle of destruction between father and son. Tension seems to arise with the implication of the woman’s creative nature juxtaposed to the destructive nature of her husband.

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Greek Mythology

    429 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Role of Women in Greek Mythology In learning about the feminist movement, we studied the three articles, discussed and reviewed the different authors perspectives on the topic, and learned how important the role of woman in Greek mythology is. In presenting the feminist theory to the class, we analyzed the three articles, Women in Ancient Greece; Women in Antiquity: New Assessments; and Women in Greek Myth, and discussed how although the three articles provided different views on Feminism in mythology, they all essentially are aiming to teach the same basic concept. In order to understand the feminist theory, we have to understand the notion that although myths are invented and that they involve fantasy, the concept of mythology does not necessarily imply that there is no truth of history in them. Some of the humans may have lived while some of the events may have taken place. Most importantly, the social customs and the way of life depicted in the myths are a valuable representation of Greek society.

    Read More

  • Important Role of Women in Homer's Odyssey

    1720 Words  | 4 Pages

    Yet, despite the fact that no two women in this epic are alike, each—through her vices or virtues—helps to delineate the role of the ideal woman. Below, we will show the importance of Circe, Calypso, Nausicaa, Clytaemestra, and Penelope in terms of the movement of the narrative and in defining social roles for the Ancient Greeks. Before we delve into the traits of individual characters, it is important to understand certain assumptions about women that prevailed in the Homeric Age. By modern standards, the Ancient Greeks would be considered a rabidly misogynistic culture. Indeed, the notoriously sour Boetian playwright Hesiod-- who wrote about fifty years before Homer-- proclaimed "Zeus who thunders on high made women to be evil to mortal men, with a nature to do evil (Theogony 600).

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Hesiod And Greek Mythology

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Hesiod’s version, Zeus created Pandora as a punishment to man and illustrated her as an evil, deceitful and supposed curse on mankind, “Evil conspirators. And he added another evil to offset the good...she was a real pain for human beings” (Hesiod, 149-164) On the contrary women in Ovid’s tale were treated as companions who worked together for the greater good, as depicted by the myth of Pyrrha and Deucalion, “Then, side by side, they went without delay to seek the waters of Cephisus’ stream.” (Ovid, 17) Deucalion and Pyrrha are portrayed to be righteous and true devotes of the Olympian gods and hence given the responsibility of repopulating earth. Ovid demonstrates that the humans in this myth portray the role of a god, where they repopulate Earth with righteous humans, thus creating order in the universe again. He portrays their role as a vital component in this occurrence as without their diligence and morals—this act would not have been possible. Thus, establishing the human-centered concept of his

    Read More

  • Women in Egypt

    3007 Words  | 7 Pages

    He here practices the common Greco-chauvinistic idea of male dominance over female. He even goes as far as reducing them to a less than human state by using the word creatures. He goes on to say to the Thebans: “I would not choose to live with the female sex either in bad times nor during a welcome peace… The outside is a man’s concern – a woman should not consider it; she should stay inside and not cause damage. Have you heard me or not? Or am I talking to a deaf woman?” (Lefkowitz and Fant, 28) This was furthered by Euripides in the Worthlessness of Women, 428 BCE. Euripides went beyond Eteocles. He said: “I hate clever women. I don’t want a woman in my house thinking more than a woman ought to think…” (Lefkowitz and Fant, 29). Euripides here degrades women as was the custom of Greek men of that...

    Read More

  • Pandora In Hesiod's Theogony

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    While in Theogony it only describes the beauty, Athena gave her. I think Hesiod does this because in Theogony, he later explains how evil women is to men. In the description of the woman he wanted to show how different women would look from man, in Theogony he is telling the background stories so he must tell his reader how this woman looks like and emphasis more on her beauty and how that would capture a man. While, in Works and Days his speaking to his brother and he probably knows how that woman looks like and so he emphasizing more on how she was created evil, how the gods and goddess design her to be evil. In this poem, Hesiod tells us her name Pandora while in the other poem he does not. I think this is like this because in Theogony women is the embodiment of evil. She is more of a symbol, Theogony is meant to tell us how things came about and what things are. While in Works and Days the woman was design as someone who will ruin mankind not exactly classifying all women as being the evil but instead being descent of the one who ruin mankind. She was the tool made to unleash all the evils in the world. I think Hesiod did this because his explaining to his brother Prometheus reckless actions leads to the

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Medea And Antigone

    515 Words  | 2 Pages

    The plays Medea, by Euripides, and Antigone, by Sophocles, are often analyzed as being supportive of feminist ideas. Yet, one wonders whether Euripides and Sophocles really could have been behind what would have been a very radical idea in their misogynistic society. A feminist is defined as “a person who supports the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of social, political, and economic equality to men.” Key word: advocacy. Euripides and Sophocles portrayed ideas we now recognize as feminist, however, I do not believe they themselves supported or could even conceive of equal rights for women.

    Read More

  • The Pandora Myth In Hesiod's Theogony

    469 Words  | 1 Pages

    According to Hesiod in the Works and Days, the king of the gods Zeus has the first woman created in response to Prometheus stealing fire from Zeus to give to men. Hephaestus creates the first woman out of earth and water. Hesiod says that the first woman’s name is Pandora because each god and goddess “who dwelt on Olympus each gave a gift, a plague for men” (Hesiod). The Pandora myth is misogynistic because the plagues given to man are Pandora’s fault. Hesiod describes the gift present to Epimetheus as an evil thing that will harm men. As the myth progresses, he describes Pandora releasing sorrow, illness, and mischief upon men with her own hands. The myth emphasizes that Pandora intentionally could not hold the jar open before hope could escape

    Read More

  • Medea - Male And Female Perceptions Of The World

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    Unlike today where women are usually regarded as important as men are, the ancient Greek men were ranked much higher than women in the hierarchy and therefore there was quite a gap between them. This meant that men were able to order women around and information was available to them before anybody else. Men were regarded as smarter than women so they were chosen to do special tasks while the women were left to be servants. But men didn?t seem to understand women much at all. Some men believed that they were just ?Poor women?, ?Harping on trouble?, where really they were doing things that would have helped themselves as well as the people around them. Medea is expecte...

    Read More

  • The Role of Women in Greek Mythology

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mortal females cause struggles among men and are portrayed as wicked in Greek Mythology. In the story of How the World and Mankind Were Created, the Father of Men and of the Gods, Zeus, swears to get revenge upon mankind because of the poor sacrifices made to the altars. Therefore, he “[makes] a great evil for men, a sweet and lovely thing to look upon… they [call] her Pandora… the first woman… who are an evil to men, with a nature to do evil… is the source of all misfortu...

    Read More

  • Hecuba The Odyssey

    1137 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the time period in which Hecuba was written, women were not given many rights or seen with much power. This is evident through Euripides’ description of women from other characters

    Read More

  • Gender Roles in Medea by Euripides

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    Centuries of traditions has enabled men and women to define gender roles in society. Although some critics declare gender roles do not exist today, others believe they do. In society, men and women are defined by gender roles throughout their activities and emotions. A doctor is typically portrayed by a male while women rear the children and cook for the men. However, although still in existence, today these roles are less obvious but tend to have similar meaning when compared to the past. In ancient Greece, women suffered great hardships. Currently, females work, vote, and run for office. In comparison to ancient Greece, these activities are a phenomenal leap from being under the direct supervision of a male husband.

    Read More

  • womenant Portrayal of Women in Sophocles' Antigone

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although ancient Greece was a male-dominate society, Sophocles' work Antigone, portrays women as being strong and capable of making wise decisions. In this famous tragedy, Sophocles uses the characters Ismene and Antigone to show the different characteristics and roles that woman are typical of interpreting. Traditionally women are characterized as weak and subordinate and Ismene is portrayed in this way. Through the character of Antigone, women finally get to present realistic viewpoints about their character.

    Read More

  • Pandora's Box By Hesiod

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    The myth concerning the creation of Pandora and her opening of “Pandora’s box” is one of the etiological stories surrounding the formation of women and their archetypal role in society. Pandora was meant to be a punishment to manhood due to Prometheus’ (Forethought) trickery when he misled Zeus to choose a lesser portion of an ox that was split between him and man, and also when Prometheus stole fire and gave it to mankind without permission. In order to reprimand Prometheus and mankind for their cruel deception, Zeus calls upon his siblings and children to help him create an evil gift, Pandora, also known as “all-gift” (since all the gods created her by contributing a “unique gift”). Zeus presented Pandora to Epimetheus (Afterthought), Prometheus’ brother, and ultimately gave the evil gift of women to all of mortal men as well.

    Read More

  • Treatment of Women in Ancient Literature

    2408 Words  | 5 Pages

    Walcot, P. “Greek Attitudes towards Women: The Mythological Evidence.” Greece & Rome 2nd ser. 31.1 (Apr., 1984): 37-47. Cambridge University Press on Behalf of The Classical Association Article Stable. Web.

    Read More

More about The Role of Women in Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days

Open Document