The writings of Hesiod give us great insight into the moral and ethical state of the society of ancient Greece in 700 B.C. From his writings, "Changing Times Bring on a Moral Order,"" one can conclude that Greece was submerged in a dark "Iron Age- where there was, at this time, little or no justice at all. This civilization was an oligarchy of nobles that oppressed the lower classes. Hesiod saw the history of humankind as one of progressive degeneration "from an ideal golden age in the faraway past to the present harsh age of "black iron."" According to Hesiod this was a time characterized by suffering and lawlessness. .
This time of hardships increased the need for a moral order to emerge Greece out of this "Iron Age."" The beginnings of a new morality began once more in this period in which Hesiod lived. He stressed the fact that violence is bad for the common man, and even a noble can not bear its burden. He wrote, " But only when he has suffered does the fool learn this."" Being immoral may seem like the better of the two paths, but you will be punished for it someday. This is a great truth that tells us how big of an importance the Greeks placed on righteousness and the future good. .
Hesiods' writings tell us that the ancient Greeks had work ethics, motivation, and the desire to obtain the most they could. He stressed the importance of hard work to correct what had gone wrong in Greece. He stated, " between us and Goodness, the gods have placed the sweat of our brows - Claiming that the path to goodness required a lot more work than that to badness. Competition between farmers was also mentioned in these writings, as was private ownership and these factors were what seemingly motivated them to work hard and improve their farms. Hesiod said that the power of competition can, " stir up even the lazy to work, for a man wants work once he sees his neighbor, a rich man, eager to plough, to plant and to put his house in good order.
