Living
Maxims of Theognis: Of all things indeed to
Translated by Rev. J. Banks (Bohn, 1856) · From Hesiod, Callimachus and Theognis (Bohn, 1856)
Of all things indeed to men on the earth, not to be born, and not to see the rays of the piercing sun, is best: but that when born he should, as soon as possible, cross the gates of Hades, and lie low, having heaped together for himself much earth.
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: Of all things indeed to.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/184/.
Chicago
Megara, Theognis of. “Maxims of Theognis: Of all things indeed to.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/184/.
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