Hesiod
8th Century BCE
"It is possible that the Orphic Societies, originating about the eighth or seventh century, B.C., to some extent at least [practiced] abstinence from flesh-foods—and which claimed the semi-legendary Orpheus as their founder, may claim the honour of having inaugurated in the West this most important of social revolutions. That the preference for the purer diet, evidently displayed in the Hesiodic poems, derived its origin in part from these Orphic sacred or semi-sacred writings, though an uncertain, is a reasonable, conjecture. Hesiod, who, like his yet more celebrated (epic) successor, has given his name to a collection of world-famous poems, may be regarded as the poetic representative of Agriculture and peaceful Industry, as "Homer" is of War and the heroic virtues.…The well-known verses, in which is figured the gradual declension of men from the Golden to the present Iron race, may be taken as the remote original of all later poetic fictions of Golden Ages and Times of Innocence." (Howard Williams, The Ethics of Diet, "Hesidos")
 8th C. BCE | Hesiod, Works and Days in The Works of Hesiod, Translated from the Greek by Mr. Cooke (London, 1728; Facsimile Reprint Edition, New York, 1976); Online at AnimalRightsHistory.Org, 2006.
Works and Days
Book 1, Lines 61-67
How great the Pleasure wholesome Herbs afford,
How bless'd the frugal, and an honest, Board !
Would the immortal Gods on Men bestow
A Mind, how few the Wants of Life to Know,
They all the Year, from Labour free, might live
On what the Bounty of a Day would give;
They soon the ruddr o'er the Smoke would lay,
And let the Mule, and O, at Leisure stray
Book 1, Lines 153-159
And the first Age they stile an Age of Gold.
Men spent a Life like Gods in Saturn's Reign,
Nor felt their Mind a Care, nor Body Pain;
the Fields, as yet untill'd, their Fruits afford,
And fill a sumptuous, and unenvy'd Board.
From Labour free they all Delights enjoy,
Nor could the Ills of Time their Peace destroy
Book 1, Lines 176-177
The Golden Age's Virtues are no more;
Nature grows weaker than she was before
Book 1, Lines 194-209
And now a third, a Brasen, People rise,
Unlike the former, Men of monstrous Size.
Strong Arms extensive from their Shoulders grow;
Their Limbs of equal Magnitude below;
Potent in Arms, and dreadful at the Spear,
They live injurious, and devoid of Fear.
On the crude Flesh of Beasts, they feed, alone,
Savage their Nature, and their Hearts of Stone;
Their Houses Brass, of Brass the warlike Blade,
Iron was yet unknown, in Brass they trade.
Furious, robust, impatient for the Fight,
War is their only Care, and sole Delight.
To the dark Shades of Death this Race descend,
By civil Discords; and ignoble End !
Strong tho they were, Death quell'd their boasted Might,
And forc'd theirstubborn Souls to leave the Light
1883 | Howard Williams, "Hesiodos" in The Ethics of Diet [First Edition: London & Manchester, 1883] 2nd. ed (London & Manchester, 1896); Online at Animal Rights History, 2006.
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