Contents : Many short verses attributed to Theognis survive. They form the second half of the Penguin publication Hesiod and Theognis which I have kept nearby since reading Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days.

My thoughts: While Aesop and Hesiod loved to pass on advice in fables or poetry, they mostly succeed because the reader is convinced that they mean well. On the other hand, Theognis comes across as a vain and self-pitying old trout who is desperate to keep his boy lover’s regard, yet his advice is petty and inconsistent. Let’s move on, as no doubt his toy boy Kurnos did.

Personal rating : 1/10

• 6th century BC and earlier
• Ancient Greek literature