THEOGONY: The genesis of the gods and the creation of the world, the struggles and conflicts for cosmic order after the dominance of Zeus. The first attempt to systematize Greek mythology. WORKS AND DAYS: Prompted by the quarrel with his brother Perses, the poet criticizes injustice, praises justice, and extols work as an ideal. With many moral advice, a wealth of information, folklore, and ethics, the work brings to the forefront the world of poor farmers and sailors, their daily life, and their toil. SHIELD OF HERACLES: Description of Heracles' shield and the hero's duel with Cycnus. Hesiod, the father of didactic epic, lived at the end of the 8th - beginning of the 7th century BC. We draw the scant information about him from his work (the first poet in Europe to mention himself in his work) and from ancient tradition. He was born in Ascra, Boeotia, where he lived a rural life. [Excerpt from publisher or edition presentation text]