Extract

Theognis (1) elegiac poet, of *Megara. Chronographers dated him c.550–540 bce, making him synchronous with Phocylides (see phocylides(1)) (with whom he was often coupled as a moralist); historical allusions have been held to point to a much higher dating (c.640–600). A corpus of some 1,400 verses survives in manuscript tradition, labelled as Theognis' work. A few scholars have tried to defend the unity of the collection, but everything points to its being a composite from two or three ancient (Hellenistic) anthologies of elegiac excerpts, Theognis being only one of many poets represented. Crucial points are: (1) Theognis habitually addresses a friend Cyrnus, also called Polypaides (see 19–26). In some parts of the collection (19–254, 319–72, 539–54, 805–22, 1171–84b) nearly every item contains this address, whereas elsewhere it is absent for long stretches. (2) Several pieces are identifiable from other sources as the work of *Tyrtaeus, *Mimnermus, *Solon, and perhaps *Euenus.