Ponos

Ponos was the personification of hard labour and toil in Greek mythology. In Hesiod’s Theogony he is a son of Eris (Strife) and so a grandson of Nyx (Night). No myth is told about him: he appears only in Hesiod’s list of the children of Eris (Theogony 226–232).

Parentage

Hesiod makes Eris a daughter of Nyx, born after Nemesis, Apate (Deceit), Philotes (Affection) and Geras (Old Age) (Theogony 223–225). Of Eris herself he says that “hateful Strife bore painful Ponos” (Theogony 226). Hesiod gives Eris no consort for these children.

Siblings

The Theogony lists the other children of Eris as Lethe (Forgetfulness), Limos (Famine) and the tearful Algea (Pains); the Hysminai (Battles), Machai (Fights), Phonoi (Murders) and Androktasiai (Manslaughters); Neikea (Quarrels), Pseudea (Lies), Logoi (Words) and Amphillogiai (Disputes); Dysnomia (Lawlessness) and Ate (Ruin), who are companions of each other; and Horkos (Oath), who brings the greatest harm to men on earth whenever one swears a false oath on purpose (Theogony 226–232). They are personifications of troubles that afflict people: pain, hunger, forgetting, violence and quarrel.

Toil in Hesiod

Hesiod also uses the ordinary Greek word ponos for toil in the Works and Days. Before Pandora opened the jar, the tribes of men lived on earth apart from evils and from hard toil (Works and Days 90–92), and the men of the golden race lived like gods, without toil or grief (Works and Days 112–113). In these lines ponos is a common noun and not a god.

Ponos Sources

Hesiod, Theogony 223–232; Hesiod, Works and Days 90–92, 112–113.

See Also: Eris, Nyx, Algea, Lethe, Limos, Horcus, Ate, Dysnomia