A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

THEOGNIS. THEOGNIS. 1077
wecutive hexameters in the gnomic extracts from I which of course has been subjected to the common
his poems. The passage of Plato (I. c.), sometimes fates of such collections; interpolations from the
quoted to show that he wrote epic poetry, seems works of other gnomic poets, and omissions of pasto us to prove, if anything, the very opposite. The sages which really belonged to Theognis; besides
poems, which have come down to us, consist of the ordinary corruptions of critics and transcribers.
1389 elegiac verses, consisting of gnomic sentences Whatever questions may be raised as to matters of
and paragraphs, of one or more couplets; which detail, there can be very little doubt that the sovary greatly in their style and subjects, and which called poems of Theognis have been brought into
are evidently extracted from a number of separate their present state by some such process as that
poems. Even in the confused account of Suidas which has been now described.
we trace indications of the fact, that the poetry of In applying this theory to the restoration of the
Theognis consisted of several distinct elegies. In extant fragments of Theognis to something like
what state the collection was in the time of Suidas, their ancient arrangement, Welcker, to whom we
we have not sufficient evidence to determine; but, are indebted for the whole discovery, proceeds in
comparing his article with his well-known method the following manner. First, he rejects all those
of putting together the information which he ga- verses which we have the positive authority of
thered from various sources, we suspect that the ancient writers for assigning to other poets, such
work which he calls rv,3al V,' EEyElas Et's E`7rn as Tyrtaeus, Mimnermus, Solon, and others; pro-,&6, was a collection similar to that which has vided, of course, that the evidence in favour of
come down to us, though more extensive, and with those poets preponderates over that on the ground
which Suidas himself was probably acquainted, of which the verses have been assigned to Theogand that he copied the other titles front various nis. Secondly, he rejects all passages which can
writers, without caring to inquire whether the be proved to be merely parodies of the genuine
poems to which they referred were included in the gnomes of Theognis, a species of corruption which
great collection. Xenophon, in the passage above he discusses with great skill (pp. lxxx. foll.).
cited, refers to a collection of the poetry of Tlleog- Thirdly, he collects those passages which refer to
nis; though not, as some have supposed, to a con- certain definite persons, places, seasons, and events,
tinuous gnomic poem; and it is evident that the like the epigrams of later times; of these he concollection referred to by Xenophon was different siders some to be the productions of Theognis, but
from that which has come down to us, as the lines others manifest additions. His next class is formed
quoted by him as its commencement are now of the convivial portions of the poetry; in which
found in the MSS. as vv. 183-190. the discrimination of what is genuine from what is
The manner in which the original collection was spurious is a matter of extreme difficulty. Fifthly,
formed, and the changes by which it has come into lihe separates all those paragraphs which are adits present state, can be explained by a very dressed to PolypaYdes; and here there can be no
simple theory, perfectly consistent with all the doubt that he has fallen into an error, through not
facts of the case, in the following manner. perceiving the fact above referred to, as clearly
Theognis wrote numerous elegies, political, con- established by other writers, that that word is
vivial, affectionate, and occasional, addressed to Cyr- a patronymic, and only another name for Cyrnus.
nus, and to his other friends. In a very short time Lastly, he removes from the collection the verses
these poems would naturally be collected, and ar- which fall under the denomination of 7ral8lKa,
ranged according to their subjects, and according for which Suidas censures the poet; but, if we
to the persons to whom they were addressed; but understand these passages as referring to the sort
at what precise period this was done we are unable of intercourse which prevailed among the Dorians,
to determine: the collection may have been partly many of them admit of the best interpretation and
made during the poet's life, and even by hismself; may safely be assigned to Theognis, though there are
but we may be sure that it would not be left others, of a less innocent character, which we must
undone long after his death. regard as the productions of later and more corrupt
In this collection, the distinction of the separate ages. The couplets which remain are fragments
poems in each great division would naturally be from the elegies of Theognis, mostly addressed to
less and less regarded, on account of the uniformity Cyrnus, and referring to the events of the poet's
of the metre, the similarity of the subjects, and-iln life and times, and the genuineness of which may,
the case especially of those addressed to Cyrnus- for the most part, be assumed; though, even
the perpetual recurrence of the same name in the among these, interpolations may very probably
different poems. Thus the collection would gra- have taken place, and passages actually occur of a
dually be fused into one body, and, first each meaning so nearly identical, that they can hardly
division of it, and then perhaps the whole, would be supposed to have been different passages in the
assume a form but little different from that of a works of the same poet, but they seem rather to
continuous poem. Even before this had happened, have been derived from different authors by some
however, the decidedly gnomic spirit of the poems, compiler who was struck by their resemblance.
and their popularity on that account (see Isocr. The poetical character of Theognis maybe judged
I. c.), would give rise to the practice of extracting of, to a great extent, from what has already been
from them couplets and paragraphs, containing said, and it is only necessary to add that his
gllomic sentiments; and these, being chosen genuine fragments contain much that is highly
simply for the sake of the sentiment contained in poetical in thought, and elegant as well as forcible
each individual passage, would be arranged in any in expression.
order that accident might determine, without re- The so-called remains of Theognis were first
ference to the original place and connection of each printed in the Aldine collection, Venet. 1495, fol.,
extract, and without any pains being taken to mentioned under THEOCRITUS (p. 1034, b.), then
keep the passages distinct. Thus was formed a in the several collections of the gnomic poets pubsingle and quasi-continuous body of gnomic poetry, lished during the 16th century. (See Hoffmann,
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