Living
Maxims of Theognis: O man, hadst thou obtained
Translated by Rev. J. Banks (Bohn, 1856) · From Hesiod, Callimachus and Theognis (Bohn, 1856)
O man, hadst thou obtained a share of judgment, even as thou hast of folly, and hadst thou been sensible as thou art senseless, to many of these citizens thou wouldst appear an-object-of-envy, just as now thou art nothing-worth.
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: O man, hadst thou obtained.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/189/.
Chicago
Megara, Theognis of. “Maxims of Theognis: O man, hadst thou obtained.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/189/.
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