Living
Maxims of Theognis: No treasure is it better
Translated by Rev. J. Banks (Bohn, 1856) · From Hesiod, Callimachus and Theognis (Bohn, 1856)
No treasure is it better to lay-up-for your children; yet give it, Cyrnus, to noble men when they crave it. For no man is in all respects all-blessed: but the noble man has resolution to keep his misfortune, albeit not manifest to all, whilst the meaner person knows not how to keep his spirit even alike, in prosperity or in adversity. But on mortals fall various behests of the immortals; to endure then the gifts of the immortals, such as they give men to have, it is meet.
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: No treasure is it better.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/345/.
Chicago
Megara, Theognis of. “Maxims of Theognis: No treasure is it better.” Translated by Rev. J. Banks. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/theognis/345/.
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