Hesiod

Hesiod was another poet who lived concurrently with Homer, in around the 8th century BC.  I am indebted to the agrarian writer Ernest Nathan Manning for his observations on Hesiod in his epic Works and Days.  This poem is primarily a discussion of practical agricultural work, but begins with a call to the Muses to help the poet come and sing Zeus' praise.  Hesiod says that Zeus gave man "good strife" to appease the gods and make him work hard, otherwise men would become lazy.  Much like the ancient Egyptians, Hesiod sees his religion and his farming as intertwined, and the gods smile on those who farm the land.  He speaks of agriculture by saying, "The man who works is much dearer to the deathless ones" (Works and Days 309).  Those who do not farm are warriors, whom Hesiod calls the "Men of Ares" who "do not eat bread."  Men who eat bread--who farm--are called to peace.

In passages 458-461, Hesiod describes the ideal farmer as one who works alongside, and in the same way, as his slaves.  "As soon as the ploughing-time reveals itself to mortals, then go at it, yourself and your laborers."  He praises what he calls "wealth," but a closer examination of his description reveals that he means living just above subsistence, not rich like we moderns imagine.  He calls wealthy the man who is able to provide for his family at least one full meal a day.

The classical Greeks, much like the Egyptians, veered somewhat from what the Hebrews thought of farming.  The Torah clearly places a high premium on the rights of individuals to own property, their obligation to use that property productively, and their duty to pass on property as an inheritance to their descendants.  However, there is no clear indication that the Hebrews viewed farming as morally superior to other pursuits--Father Abraham was a nomadic shepherd.  Still, the resultant political philosophy of the Greeks closely mirrors that of the ancient Hebrews; this being a healthy skepticism towards centralized authority, and the need of each household to be an independent sovereignty.  Self-sufficient farmers tend to be less dependent upon a centralized authority.  Hesiod criticizes his political leaders, and holds many of them in contempt.  Manning states that "These traits--a distrust of the concentration of power and a critical mind are essential to a politically conscious and active citizenry, and therefore the functioning of a democratic government."