The remains of Hesiod the Ascraean Author:Hesiod Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: DISSERTATION THE LIFE AND HESIOD, HIS POEMS, AND MYTHOLOGY. SECTION I. ON THE LIFE OF HESIOD. IT is remarked by Velleius Paterculus (Hist. lib.... more » i.) that " Hesiod had avoided the negligence into which Homer fell, by attesting both his country and his parents: but that of his country he had made most reproachful mention; on account of the fine which she had imposed on him." There are sufficient coincidences in the poems of Hesiod, now extant, to explain the grounds of this assertion of Paterculus; but the statement is loose and incorrect. As to the mention of his country, if by country we are to suppose the place of his birth, it can only be understood by implication, and that not with certainty. Hesiod indeed relates that his father migrated from Cuma in vEolia, to Ascra, a Boeotian village at the foot of mount Helicon; but we are left to conjecture whether he himself was born at Cuma or at Ascra. His affirmation that he had never embarked in a ship but once, when he sailed across the Euripus to the Isle of Euboea on occasion of a poetical contest, has been thought decisive of his having been born at Ascra; but the poet is speaking of his nautical experience: and even if he had originally come from Cuma, he would scarcely mention a voyage made in infancy. The observation respecting his parents tends to countenance the reading of Aou yevoj; race of Dius; instead of 3iov yevoj, race divine; but the name of one parent only is found. The reproachful mention of his country plainly alludes to his charge of corruption against the petty kings or nobles, who exercised the magistracy of Boeotia: and by the fine is meant the judicial award of the larger share of the patrimony to his brother. There seems a great probability that Virgil, in his fourth eclogue, had Hes...« less