Living
Maxims of Theognis: If a man shall praise
Translated by Rev. J. Banks (Bohn, 1856) · From Hesiod, Callimachus and Theognis (Bohn, 1856)
If a man shall praise you for so long as he sees you, but, when removed elsewhere, launches forth an evil tongue, such a comrade, look you, is not by any means a very good friend, who would say what is most acceptable with his tongue, but thinks differently. But be such an one my friend, who, knowing his comrade, even if he be troublesome in disposition, bears him as a brother. Do you, I pray, my friend, ponder these things in your mind, and at some time hereafter you will remember me.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Codex Note
Literal prose translation by the Rev. J. Banks (Bohn, 1856), printed as prose: the plain-sense companion to Frere’s verse version. Banks’s hyphenated compounds are his own.
Cite this poem
MLA
Megara, Theognis of. “Maxims of Theognis: If a man shall praise.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/123/.
Chicago
Megara, Theognis of. “Maxims of Theognis: If a man shall praise.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/123/.
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