Playing Hesiod: The 'Myth of the Races' in Classical Antiquity

Helen Van Noorden

doi:10.1017/CBO9781139019347

This book offers a new description of the significance of Hesiod's 'myth of the races' for ancient Greek and Roman authors, showing how the most detailed responses to this story go far beyond nostalgia for a lost 'Golden' age or hope of its return. Through a series of close readings, it argues that key authors from Plato to Juvenal rewrite the story to reconstruct 'Hesiod' more broadly as predecessor in forming their own intellectual and rhetorical projects; disciplines such as philosophy, didactic poetry and satire all engage in implicit questions about 'Hesiodic' teaching. The first chapter introduces key issues; the second re-evaluates the account in Hesiod's Works and Days. A major chapter outlines Plato's use of Hesiod through close study of the Protagoras, Republic and Statesman. Subsequent chapters focus on Aratus' Phaenomena and Ovid's Metamorphoses; the final chapter, on the Octavia attributed to Seneca and Juvenal's sixth Satire, broadens ideas of Hesiod's reception in Rome.

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Contents

Playing Hesiod - Half title page
pp i-i
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Series page
pp ii-ii
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Playing Hesiod - Title page
pp iii-iii
The ‘Myth of the Races’ in Classical Antiquity
- By Helen Van Noorden
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Copyright page
pp iv-iv
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Contents
pp v-vi
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Acknowledgements
pp vii-viii
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Texts, translations and abbreviations
pp ix-x
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Chapter 1 - Approaching Hesiod
pp 1-42
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Chapter 2 - Embedding the races in Hesiod
pp 43-88
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Chapter 3 - ‘Hesiod’s races and your own’: Plato’s ‘Hesiodic’ projects
pp 89-167
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Chapter 4 - ‘They called her Justice … ’: reading Hesiod in Aratus’ Phaenomena
pp 168-203
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Chapter 5 - Hesiod ad mea tempora in Ovid’s Metamorphoses
pp 204-260
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Chapter 6 - Saeculo premimur graui: re-performing ‘Hesiod’ in Rome
pp 261-304
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Conclusion - Playing ‘Hesiod’
pp 305-308
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Works cited
pp 309-338
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Index locorum
pp 339-343
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General index
pp 344-350
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Playing Hesiod

The 'Myth of the Races' in Classical Antiquity

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Contents

Playing Hesiod - Half title page
pp i-i

Series page
pp ii-ii

Playing Hesiod - Title page
pp iii-iii

Copyright page
pp iv-iv

Contents
pp v-vi

Acknowledgements
pp vii-viii

Texts, translations and abbreviations
pp ix-x

Chapter 1 - Approaching Hesiod
pp 1-42

Chapter 2 - Embedding the races in Hesiod
pp 43-88

Chapter 3 - ‘Hesiod’s races and your own’: Plato’s ‘Hesiodic’ projects
pp 89-167

Chapter 4 - ‘They called her Justice … ’: reading Hesiod in Aratus’ Phaenomena
pp 168-203

Chapter 5 - Hesiod ad mea tempora in Ovid’s Metamorphoses
pp 204-260

Chapter 6 - Saeculo premimur graui: re-performing ‘Hesiod’ in Rome
pp 261-304

Conclusion - Playing ‘Hesiod’
pp 305-308

Works cited
pp 309-338

Index locorum
pp 339-343

General index
pp 344-350

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Playing Hesiod

The 'Myth of the Races' in Classical Antiquity

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