Living

Maxims of Theognis: It is right to endure

by Theognis of Megara fl. 6th century BC

Translated by Rev. J. Banks (Bohn, 1856) · From Hesiod, Callimachus and Theognis (Bohn, 1856)

Living

It is right to endure what the gods give to men, and to bear easily the lot of both classes. Neither when distressed with ills be vexed at heart, nor be delighted on a sudden with good fortune, before you have seen the extreme end.

This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.

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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.

MLA

Megara, Theognis of. “Maxims of Theognis: It is right to endure.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/221/.

Chicago

Megara, Theognis of. “Maxims of Theognis: It is right to endure.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/221/.

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