What does “evil” mean in Greek literature?
• extrinsic evil(s): “bad (for us) things,” “ills,” sufferings seen objectively in terms of their effect (e.g. illness, hunger, or any other lousy condition to be in) • vs. the moral meaning (“wicked”): evil as malice, focusing on the intention and character of the one who does evil • Hesiod’s meditation on “evils” spans both of these types • In the Pandora myth, Hesiod tells how extrinsic evils became a defining aspect of human life. (Note that these evils are not in general specifically associated with Pandora’s nature as a woman.) • The Ages of Man myth is also about the generally increasing quotient of toil and pain in human life. But the story proceeds according to the moral character of human beings (e.g. “They could not refrain from reckless violence against one another…”, p. 195, l. 135). This is not the unmerited punishment of Pandora’s curse; it is what the silver race of men did after 100 years of safe nurture from their “prudent mothers.” • The content of Works and Days o
