Races of men as they appear in the Hesiodic “Works and Days.”—The Golden.—The Silver.—The Brazen.—The Heroic.—The Iron.—Different both from the Theogony and from Homer.—Explanation of this difference.—Ethical vein of sentiment.—Intersected by the mythical.—The “Works and Days,” earliest didactic poem.—First Introduction of dæmons.—Changes in the idea of dæmons.—Employed in attacks on the pagan faith.—Functions of the Hesiodic dæmons.—Personal feeling which pervades the “Works and Days.”—Probable age of the poem. 64-73
Iapetids in Hesiod.—Promêtheus and Epimêtheus.—Counter-manœuvring of Promêtheus and Zeus.—Pandôra.—Pandôra in the Theogony.—General feeling of the poet.—Man wretched, but Zeus not to blame.—Mischiefs arising from women.—Punishment of Promêtheus.—The Promêtheus of Æschylus.—Locality in which Promêtheus was confined. 73-80
Structure and purposes of Grecian genealogies.—To connect the Grecian community with their common god.—Lower members of the genealogy historical—higher members non-historical.—The non-historical portion equally believed, and most valued by the Greeks.—Number of such genealogies—pervading every fraction of Greeks.—Argeian genealogy.—Inachus.—Phorôneus.—Argos Panoptês.—Iô.—Romance of Iô historicized by Persians and Phœnicians.—Legendary abductions of heroines adapted to the feelings prevalent during the Persian war.—Danaos and the Danaïdes.—Acrisios and Prœtos.—The Prœtides cured of frenzy by Melampus.—Acrisios, Danaê, and Zeus.—Perseus and the Gorgons.—Foundation of Mycênæ—commencement of Perseid dynasty.—Amphitryôn, Alkmênê, Sthenelos.—Zeus and Alkmênê.—Birth of Hêraklês.—Homeric legend of his birth: its expository value.—The Hêrakleids expelled.—Their recovery of Peloponnêsus and establishment in Argos, Sparta, and Messênia. 80-95
Deukaliôn, son of Promêtheus.—Phthiôtis: his permanent seat.—General deluge.—Salvation of Deukaliôn and Pyrrha.—Belief in this deluge throughout Greece.—Hellên and Amphiktyôn.—Sons of Hellên: Dôrus, Xuthus, Æolus.—Amphiktyonic assembly.—Common solemnities and games.—Division of Hellas: Æolians, Dôrians, Iônians.—Large extent of Dôris implied in this genealogy.—This form of the legend harmonizes with the great establishments of the historical Dôrians.—Achæus—purpose which his name serves in the legend.—Genealogical diversities. 96-105