Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
afraid and no longer stood up to them, but turned and fled. Already the
sun was set, and so came the end of the one-day war.
OF THE ORIGIN OF HOMER AND HESIOD, AND OF THEIR CONTEST
Everyone boasts that the most divine of poets, Homer and Hesiod, are
said to be his particular countrymen. Hesiod, indeed, has put a name to
his native place and so prevented any rivalry, for he said that his
father ‘settled near Helicon in a wretched hamlet, Ascra, which is
miserable in winter, sultry in summer, and good at no season.’ But, as
for Homer, you might almost say that every city with its inhabitants
claims him as her son. Foremost are the men of Smyrna who say that he
was the Son of Meles, the river of their town, by a nymph Cretheis, and
that he was at first called Melesigenes. He was named Homer later, when
he became blind, this being their usual epithet for such people. The
Chians, on the other hand, bring forward evidence to show that he was
their countryman, saying that there actually remain some of his
descendants among them who are called Homeridae. The Colophonians even
show the place where they declare that he began to compose when a
schoolmaster, and say that his first work was the _Margites_.
As to his parents also, there is on all hands great disagreement.
Hellanicus and Cleanthes say his father was Maeon, but Eugaeon says
Meles; Callicles is for Mnesagoras, Democritus of Troezen for Daemon, a
merchant-trader. Some, again, say he was the son of Thamyras, but the
Egyptians say of Menemachus, a priest-scribe, and there are even those
who father him on Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. As for his mother,
she is variously called Metis, Cretheis, Themista, and Eugnetho. Others
say she was an Ithacan woman sold as a slave by the Phoenicians; other,
Calliope the Muse; others again Polycasta, the daughter of Nestor.
Homer himself was called Meles or, according to different accounts,
Melesigenes or Altes. Some authorities say he was called Homer, because
his father was given as a hostage to the Persians by the men of Cyprus;
others, because of his blindness; for amongst the Aeolians the blind
are so called. We will set down, however, what we have heard to have
been said by the Pythia concerning Homer in the time of the most sacred
Emperor Hadrian. When the monarch inquired from what city Homer came,
and whose son he was, the priestess delivered a response in hexameters
after this fashion:
‘Do you ask me of the obscure race and country of the heavenly siren?
Ithaca is his country, Telemachus his father, and Epicasta, Nestor’s
daughter, the mother that bare him, a man by far the wisest of mortal
kind.’ This we must most implicitly believe, the inquirer and the
answerer being who they are—especially since the poet has so greatly
glorified his grandfather in his works.
Now some say that he was earlier than Hesiod, others that he was
younger and akin to him. They give his descent thus: Apollo and
Aethusa, daughter of Poseidon, had a son Linus, to whom was born
Pierus. From Pierus and the nymph Methone sprang Oeager; and from
Oeager and Calliope Orpheus; from Orpheus, Dres; and from him, Eucles.
The descent is continued through Iadmonides, Philoterpes, Euphemus,
Epiphrades and Melanopus who had sons Dius and Apelles. Dius by
Pycimede, the daughter of Apollo had two sons Hesiod and Perses; while
Apelles begot Maeon who was the father of Homer by a daughter of the
River Meles.
According to one account they flourished at the same time and even had
a contest of skill at Chalcis in Euboea. For, they say, after Homer had
composed the _Margites_, he went about from city to city as a minstrel,
and coming to Delphi, inquired who he was and of what country? The
Pythia answered:
‘The Isle of Ios is your mother’s country and it shall receive you
dead; but beware of the riddle of the young children.’ 3701
Hearing this, it is said, he hesitated to go to Ios, and remained in
the region where he was. Now about the same time Ganyctor was
celebrating the funeral rites of his father Amphidamas, king of Euboea,
and invited to the gathering not only all those who were famous for
bodily strength and fleetness of foot, but also those who excelled in
wit, promising them great rewards. And so, as the story goes, the two
went to Chalcis and met by chance. The leading Chalcidians were judges
together with Paneides, the brother of the dead king; and it is said
that after a wonderful contest between the two poets, Hesiod won in the
following manner: he came forward into the midst and put Homer one
question after another, which Homer answered. Hesiod, then, began:
‘Homer, son of Meles, inspired with wisdom from heaven, come, tell me
first what is best for mortal man?’
HOMER: ‘For men on earth ’tis best never to be born at all; or being
born, to pass through the gates of Hades with all speed.’
Hesiod then asked again:
‘Come, tell me now this also, godlike Homer: what think you in your
heart is most delightsome to men?’
Homer answered:
‘When mirth reigns throughout the town, and feasters about the house,
sitting in order, listen to a minstrel; when the tables beside them are
laden with bread and meat, and a wine-bearer draws sweet drink from the
mixing-bowl and fills the cups: this I think in my heart to be most
delightsome.’
It is said that when Homer had recited these verses, they were so
admired by the Greeks as to be called golden by them, and that even now
at public sacrifices all the guests solemnly recite them before feasts
and libations. Hesiod, however, was annoyed by Homer’s felicity and
hurried on to pose him with hard questions. He therefore began with the
following lines:
‘Come, Muse; sing not to me of things that are, or that shall be, or
that were of old; but think of another song.’
Then Homer, wishing to escape from the impasse by an apt answer,
replied:—
‘Never shall horses with clattering hoofs break chariots, striving for
victory about the tomb of Zeus.’
Here again Homer had fairly met Hesiod, and so the latter turned to
sentences of doubtful meaning 3702: he recited many lines and required
Homer to complete the sense of each appropriately. The first of the
following verses is Hesiod’s and the next Homer’s: but sometimes Hesiod
puts his question in two lines.
HESIOD: ‘Then they dined on the flesh of oxen and their horses’ necks—’
HOMER: ‘They unyoked dripping with sweat, when they had had enough of
war.’
HESIOD: ‘And the Phrygians, who of all men are handiest at ships—’
HOMER: ‘To filch their dinner from pirates on the beach.’
HESIOD: ‘To shoot forth arrows against the tribes of cursed giants with
his hands—’
HOMER: ‘Heracles unslung his curved bow from his shoulders.’
HESIOD: ‘This man is the son of a brave father and a weakling—’
HOMER: ‘Mother; for war is too stern for any woman.’
HESIOD: ‘But for you, your father and lady mother lay in love—’
HOMER: ‘When they begot you by the aid of golden Aphrodite.’
HESIOD: ‘But when she had been made subject in love, Artemis, who
delights in arrows—’
HOMER: ‘Slew Callisto with a shot of her silver bow.’
HESIOD: ‘So they feasted all day long, taking nothing—’
HOMER: ‘From their own houses; for Agamemnon, king of men, supplied
them.’
HESIOD: ‘When they had feasted, they gathered among the glowing ashes
the bones of the dead Zeus—’
HOMER: ‘Born Sarpedon, that bold and godlike man.’
HESIOD: ‘Now we have lingered thus about the plain of Simois, forth
from the ships let us go our way, upon our shoulders—’
HOMER: ‘Having our hilted swords and long-helved spears.’
HESIOD: ‘Then the young heroes with their hands from the sea—’
HOMER: ‘Gladly and swiftly hauled out their fleet ship.’
HESIOD: ‘Then they came to Colchis and king Aeetes—’
HOMER: ‘They avoided; for they knew he was inhospitable and lawless.’
HESIOD: ‘Now when they had poured libations and deeply drunk, the
surging sea—’
HOMER: ‘They were minded to traverse on well-built ships.’
HESIOD: ‘The Son of Atreus prayed greatly for them that they all might
perish—’
HOMER: ‘At no time in the sea: and he opened his mouth said:’
HESIOD: ‘Eat, my guests, and drink, and may no one of you return home
to his dear country—’
HOMER: ‘Distressed; but may you all reach home again unscathed.’
When Homer had met him fairly on every point Hesiod said:
‘Only tell me this thing that I ask: How many Achaeans went to Ilium
with the sons of Atreus?’
Homer answered in a mathematical problem, thus:
‘There were fifty hearths, and at each hearth were fifty spits, and on
each spit were fifty carcases, and there were thrice three hundred
Achaeans to each joint.’
This is found to be an incredible number; for as there were fifty
hearths, the number of spits is two thousand five hundred; and of
carcasses, one hundred and twenty thousand...
Homer, then, having the advantage on every point, Hesiod was jealous
and began again:
‘Homer, son of Meles, if indeed the Muses, daughters of great Zeus the
most high, honour you as it is said, tell me a standard that is both
best and worst for mortal-men; for I long to know it.’ Homer replied:
‘Hesiod, son of Dius, I am willing to tell you what you command, and
very readily will I answer you. For each man to be a standard will I
answer you. For each man to be a standard to himself is most excellent
for the good, but for the bad it is the worst of all things. And now
ask me whatever else your heart desires.’
HESIOD: ‘How would men best dwell in cities, and with what
observances?’
HOMER: ‘By scorning to get unclean gain and if the good were honoured,
but justice fell upon the unjust.’
HESIOD: ‘What is the best thing of all for a man to ask of the gods in
prayer?’
HOMER: ‘That he may be always at peace with himself continually.’
HESIOD: ‘Can you tell me in briefest space what is best of all?’
HOMER: ‘A sound mind in a manly body, as I believe.’
HESIOD: ‘Of what effect are righteousness and courage?’
HOMER: ‘To advance the common good by private pains.’
HESIOD: ‘What is the mark of wisdom among men?’
HOMER: ‘To read aright the present, and to march with the occasion.’
HESIOD: ‘In what kind of matter is it right to trust in men?’
HOMER: ‘Where danger itself follows the action close.’
HESIOD: ‘What do men mean by happiness?’
HOMER: ‘Death after a life of least pain and greatest pleasure.’
After these verses had been spoken, all the Hellenes called for Homer
to be crowned. But King Paneides bade each of them recite the finest
passage from his own poems. Hesiod, therefore, began as follows:
‘When the Pleiads, the daughters of Atlas, begin to rise begin the
harvest, and begin ploughing ere they set. For forty nights and days
they are hidden, but appear again as the year wears round, when first
the sickle is sharpened. This is the law of the plains and for those
who dwell near the sea or live in the rich-soiled valleys, far from the
wave-tossed deep: strip to sow, and strip to plough, and strip to reap
when all things are in season.’ 3703
Then Homer:
‘The ranks stood firm about the two Aiantes, such that not even Ares
would have scorned them had he met them, nor yet Athena who saves
armies. For there the chosen best awaited the charge of the Trojans and
noble Hector, making a fence of spears and serried shields. Shield
closed with shield, and helm with helm, and each man with his fellow,
and the peaks of their head-pieces with crests of horse-hair touched as
they bent their heads: so close they stood together. The murderous
battle bristled with the long, flesh-rending spears they held, and the
flash of bronze from polished helms and new-burnished breast-plates and
gleaming shields blinded the eyes. Very hard of heart would he have