Hesiod
"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")
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 Hesiod, Works and Days (ebook history).
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
(Hesiod, Works and Days, Book 1, Lines 60-68)
And the first Age they stile an Age of Gold.…
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
(Hesiod, Works and Days, Book 1, Lines 159-160)
The Golden Age's Virtues are no more;
Nature grows weaker than she was before
(Hesiod, Works and Days, Book 1, Lines 176-177)
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
(Hesiod, Works and Days, Book 1, Lines 194-209)
1883 | Howard Williams, "Hesiodos" in The Ethics of Diet (ebook history).
 Transcriber's Notes
Hesiod, Works and Days in The Works of Hesiod, Translated from the Greek by Mr. Cooke (London, 1728; [Online Edition Transcribed from the Facsimile Reprint Edition, New York, 1976] AnimalRightsHistory.Org, 2006).
Hesiod, translated by C. A. Elton, (London: 1832; Digitized by Google, 2006).
Howard Williams, The Ethics of Diet ([First Edition: London & Manchester, 1883; Online Edition Transcribed from the Expanded and Revised 2nd Edition] London & Manchester, 1896; AnimalRightsHistory.Org, 2006).
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