Theogony, Hesiod – Thursday February 9th Assignment by Elias Avila

Hesiod, Theogony

When such a king comes to the assembly he stands out;
yes, he is revered like a god and treated with cheerful respect.
Suchis the holy gift the Muses give men.
The singers and lyre players of this earth
are descended from the Muses and far-shooting Apollon,
but kings are from the line of Zeus. Blessed is the man
whom the Muses love; sweet song flows from his mouth.

Theogony is a poem written by Hesiod around 800bc. This took place towards the end of the Greek Dark Ages. The Dark Ages was a point in time where many cities in Greece were destroyed and the government was in terrible shape. There were little advancements, and barely any structural developments. Overall, this was a time where everything has become stagnant. In my perception, Hesiod was trying to create order during a time of chaos and possible revolt. He wrote this beautiful poem as hope to those that needed it. He is telling everyone to have faith in one man (the King). Let him who has the power of governing the land make decisions without interference, or question. He was given the title of King for a reason.  He stands out amongst that rest and should be treated like a God.  He goes on to say that many people possess talents that they should not let go to waste. These talents are a blessing from Zeus himself and delivered through the muses. These talents collectively could help the city progress and get the state of Greece out of its Dark Age.