Selections from Hesiod's Works and Days

Lines 109–10, 112–18

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χρυσεον μὲν πρώτιστα γένος μερόπων ἀνθρώπων 
αθάνατοι ποίησαν Ὀλύμπια δώματ’ ἔχοντες. 
ὥστε θεοὶ δ’ ἔζωον, ἀκηδέα θῡμὸν ἔχοντες, 
νόσφιν ἄτερ τε πόνου καὶ ὀϊζύος· οὐδέ τι δειλόν 
γηρας ἐπην, αἰεὶ δὲ πόδας καὶ χειρας ὁμοιοι 
τέρποντ’ ἐν θαλί ͅησι κακων ἔκτοσθεν ἁπάντων· 
θνησκον δ’ ὥσθ’ ὕπνῳ δεδμημένοι· ἐσθλὰ δὲ πάντα 
τοισιν ἔην· καρπὸν δ’ ἔφερε ζείδωρος ἄρουρα 
αὐτομάτη πολλόν τε καὶ ἄφθονον. . . .

At first the golden race of mortal speech
the immortal ones, having homes on Mt. Olympus, created.
They lived as the gods lived, having a heart free of sorrow,
away from and without toil and misery -- never present
was sad old age. always, the same in foot and hands,
they were delighted in festivities, far off from all evil.
They died as if overcome by sleep: all good things 
were theirs. The bountiful earth bore fruit of her own accord,
plentiful and large. . . .