His mentioning of the Pleiades and the Hyades in his work, "Works and Days," of about 720 to 700 B.C., is one of the first known documents related to these two open star clusters in Taurus; only Homer's mentioning in his Ilias is probably a couple of decades older.

Hesiod's relavant lines from "Works and Days" read:

• Pleiades, line 380-384:

  More hands mean more work and more increase. If your heart within you desires wealth, do these things and work with work upon work. When the Pleiades, daughters of Atlas, are rising, [early May] begin your harvest, and your ploughing when they are going to set. [November]

• Pleiades, line 571:

  But when the House-carrier [snail] climbs up the plants from the earth to escape the Pleiades, then it is no longer the season for digging vineyards, but to whet your sickles and rouse up your slaves.

• Pleiades and Hyades, line 615-620:

  But when the Pleiades and Hyades and strong Orion begin to set, [end of October] then remember to plough in season: and so the completed year will fitly pass beneath the earth. But if desire for uncomfortable sea-faring seize you when the Pleiades plunge into the misty sea [end of October, beginning November] to escape Orion's rude strength, then truly gales of all kinds rage.

Hesiod is commemorated by the naming of Moon Crater Hesiodus (29.4S, 16.3W, 42.0, named 1935), Mercury crater Hesiod (58.5S, 35.0W, 107.0 km, in 1976) as well as asteroid (8550) Hesiodos (discovered August 12, 1994 on La Silla by E.W. Elst, provisionally designated 1994 PV24, as well as 1979 WB6 and 1987 YB4 from pre-discovery sightings).

Links

• Some Hesiod info, Yann Pothier
• Hesiod's poetry, "Works and Days," was traslated by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. It is available online from the Perseus Project and in full-text presentation from Classical E-texts

• Asteroid 8550 Hesiodos (1994 PV24) (NEO/JPL)