A few days ago, I talked about where we, as Hellenists, and I, as a person, find our ethical framework. Most of mine comes from Hesiod's Works and Days. Long before I knew Hesiod, or his writings existed, my ethics mirrored his. I want to share some of his writings with you today, because they are solid, sincere, ethical guidelines and pieces of advice that I believe will bring anyone who follows them closer to the Theoi, and themselves. That is what they did for me, anyway. You can read Works and Days here, in a translation by Evelyn-White, but the words below are taken from the Loeb translation, as done by Glenn W. Most, as that translation makes a lot more sense to me.
  • Give heed to Justice and do not foster Outrageousness, for Outrageousness is evil in a worthless mortal; and even a fine man cannot bear her easily.
  • Those who give straight judgements to foreigners and fellow-citizens and do not turn aside from Justice at all, their city blooms and the people in it flower.
  • A man contrives evil for himself when he contrives evil for someone else, and an evil plan is most evil for the planner.
  • If someone is willing to speak it out publicly, then far-seeing Zeus gives him wealth, but whoever willfully swears a false oath, telling a lie in his testimony, he himself is incurably hurt at the same time as he harms Justice.

  • Misery is there to be grabbed in abundance, easily, for smooth is the road, and she lives very nearby; but in front of Excellence the immortal Gods have set sweat, and the path to Her is long and steep, and rough at first--yet when one arrives at the top, then it becomes easy, difficult though it still is.
  • The man who thinks of everything by himself, considering what will be better, later and in the end--this man is the best of all. That man is fine too, the one who is persuaded by someone who speaks well. But whoever neither thinks by himself nor pays heed to what someone else says and lays it to his heart--that man is good for nothing.
  • Whatever sort you are by fortune, working is better, if you turn your foolish spirit away from other men's possessions towards work, taking care for the means of life.
  • Shame is not good at providing for a needy man.
  • If someone grabs great wealth with his hands by violence, or plunders it by means of his tongue, as often happens when profit deceives the mind of human beings and Shamelessness drives Shame away, then the Gods easily make him obscure.
  • Invite your friends to the feast, but let your enemy be; and above all call whoever lives near to you.
  • Do not seek profit evilly: evil profit is as bad as calamities.
  • Be friendly to your friends, and go visit those who visit you. 
  • Give to him who gives and do not give to him who does not give: for one who gives is a giver, but no one gives to a non-giver--Give is good, Grab is bad, a giver of death. For whatever a man gives willingly, even if it is much, he rejoices in the gift and takes pleasure in his spirit; but whomever snatches, relying upon shamelessness, this congeals his own heart, even if it is little.
  • It is fine to take from what you have, but it is woe for the spirit to have need of what you do not have.
  • Let the payment agreed for a man who is your friend be reliable; and smile upon your brother--but add a witness too: for both trust and distrust have destroyed men.
  • If the spirit in your breast longs for wealth, then act in this way, and work at work upon work.