Theognis of Megara Quotes

To beget and breed a man is easi er than to put into him good wits; none hath ever devised means whereby he hath made a fool wise and a bad man good. If God had given the Children of Asclepius the art of healing a man's evil nature and infatuate wit, they would receive wages much and great; and if thought could be made and put into us, the son of a good father would never become bad, because he would be persuaded by good counsel. But by teaching never shalt thou make the bad man good.

One finds many companions for food and drink, but in a serious business a man's companions are few.

The lucky man is honored ...

Don’t wag the tail of life if it goes well,

Surfeit begets insolence, when prosperity comes to a bad man.

The deckhands are in control, and the base have the upper hand over the noble.

Unless the gods deceive my mind,
That man is forging fetters for himself.

Too many tongues have gates which fly apart
Too easily, and care for many things
That don’t concern them.

Πάντων μὲν μὴ φῦναι ἐπιχθονίοισιν ἄριστον
μηδ' ἐσιδεῖν αὐγὰς ὀξέος ἠελίου,
φύντα δ' ὅπως ὤκιστα πύλας Ἀίδαο περῆσαι
καὶ κεῖσθαι πολλὴν γῆν ἐπαμησάμενον.

ἀμφ' ἀρετῇ τρίβου, καί τοι τὰ δίκαια φίλ’ ἔστω,

Wine is wont to show the mind of man.

χρήματα μὲν δαίμων καὶ παγκάκῳ ἀνδρὶ δίδωσιν,
Κύρν᾽: ἀρετῆς δ᾽ ὀλίγοις ἀνδράσι μοῖρ᾽ ἕπεται.

Adopt the character of the twisting octopus, which takes on the appearance of the nearby rock. Now follow in this direction, now turn a different hue.

πολλοί τοι πλουτοῦσι κακοί, ἀγαθοὶ δὲ πένονται:

The best of all things for earthly men is not to be born and not to see the beams of the bright sun; but if born, then as quickly as possible to pass the gates of Hades, and to lie deep buried.