Theognis and His Poems

Author(s): T. Hudson Williams

Source: The Journal of Hellenic Studies , 1903, Vol. 23 (1903), pp. 1-23
Published by: The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/623754

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS.

I.

Theognis, T.heagenes, and Megara.

THE collection of elegiac poems which bears the name of Theognis offers
one of the most interesting jroblems in the literary history of Greece, and, in
spite of many tentative solutions, it must be admitted that the origin and
composition of this anthology still remain a mystery. We know that the
Theognidea include poems composed by Tyrtaeus, Mimnermus, and Solon, and
it is therefore by no means unlikely that they also include a great number of
other elegies that can no longer be traced to their proper sources. As the
object of the following article is to discuss a few points connected with the
poet's life and political surroundings, we must first of all discover some test
which will enable us to distinguish the genuine poems of Theognis from those
of other poets represented in the collection. We can safely assume that
Theognis is the author of all the elegies in Book I. which contain the name
of Cyrnus, the young noble to whom the poet addressed so many of his
didactic and political poems. For the name of Cyrnus is the orpdsrl 1'
referred to by the poet in elegy 19-26, as something which will lead to the
detection of the theft, if the poems are stolen. The <oprqpyt' cannot, as some
suppose, be the name of the poet himself: the mere insertion of the name
of Theognis at the beginning or end of a collection of disconnected poems
would afford no protection against plagiarism. What was wanted was a mark
attached to each poem, and it is to serve this purpose that the vocative
Kpve is so frequently introduced.2

119 KtpvE, CO(/)LopI.VV AEV /Aol CO4pfly2s ril- Troi MeyapLeos nrdvwras e car' ~V6Opcrovs
oYopaaorTos.
To079 5'rEITy, XAiE I ' OtROTe KEAerEVT'd- aO'roLtyo S' oirw rai w&8~EiV t'vaatlal
/AEva,
obV8f 6avuLaordl, HoAhvra'ilf ovi, 'y&p 6
oif riS &hCEl IaicOi Troibe6XAoD rap-
eovuros-
EO rso
0o60' over
2 It occurs
w 'Be BE, vzs TLS 6pEi ' euyV15s t wv 75rvYTEa'
75
CoE'T times. &ties eI OUT ViVXWy
Erfrl

H.S.-VOL. XXIII. B

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 2 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

Sitzler in his edition of Theognis

almost every poem that does not
a mere fragment, and we need no
to all the poems he ever composed
life the remaining poems in the c
caution, and mere occurrence in t
accept a poem as genuine.
Outside the Theognidea, we have
poet himself, and every reference
been the subject of violent contro
on the question of his home an
'Theognis the Mlegarian.' The poem
Nisaean Megara on the Isthmus of
in regarding Theognis as a nativ
were divided in their opinions, and
Sicily. The latter had the suppor
wroXTlv rTv dv lKEXVca Meryapec

3 MEyapev's ' without

difficulty byan adjective
accepting the suggestion of a scholi-' naturall
means 'a native of the
ast (quoted Megara'
by Sitzler, and
Theognidis Reliquiae, no on
will deny the claim of Nisaean Megara to t
addenda to p. 49) ri 8f A iKAvev anbrbv E rarrlfs
distinction. /LAv EivaL 7Ts MEyapIaOS, a7EAOhd'VTa 8E ELS S1KEeAfV,
The political situation described in the WSs -i 1Trop(a '~XE, y7veieOaC vod~ty MEape'Pa EKE, WS
Theognidea corresponds closely with the Kal -iy Tupra-mt'ov AamE8aindvlov ; Plato, they say,
accounts of Megara given by Aristotle and knew that Theognis was a native of Nisaeamn
Plutarch. Many expressions in the poems un- Megara, and in the passage under discussion he
doubtedly refer to Nisaean Megara, but wetells us that the poet had received the franchise
cannot be always certain that Theognis is thein the Sicilian city. Had Plato meant this, he
author of the poems in question.
would surely have added the word -edvEVOV to
The opening couplet of elegy 773-782 con- iroALTr-v (as in the case of Tyrtaeus). Welcker
tains a reference to continental Megara, and its (followed by Sitzler) removes the difficulty by
patron Apollo. assuming that in the above quotation from the
Laws the words Kal L77Es mean ' we inhabitants
4oLI3E &Ylva, abbVZ'JTSS d o EI rPYWo-as tdALl 6tcpqrv,
'AhaOcy of Attica.' This would certainly mak.e every-
For we know 'Ahonros rat&1
that Apollo xapiCouEzvos.
helped Alcathous to thing clear, but such a translation is quite
rebuild the walls of Megara; and one of the impossible. Although the speaker is an
town's citadels bears the name of Alcathous. Athenian, Kal 1 'yes (like Tj1ers 8' two lines
(Paus. i. 42). Alcathous is said to have earlier) can only mean 'we, and those who
dedicated a temple to 'A'rXdAAwv &ypaioY and agree with us on this point,' 'we who differ
from Tyrtaeus in our views can also bring for-
"ApTE/aLS &"yporGpa (Paus. i. 41). The opening ward a poet in support of our opinions.'
poems of the collection are addressed to deities
especially connected with Megara, viz. Apollo Theognis is not brought upon the stage as a
and Artemis, who figure prominently on the native of Attica to meet Tyrtaeus the Spartn.
bronze and silver coins of the state. Such a contrast is out of question here. Not
4 Laws. 629 a. only would it be irrelevant and out of place,
but Tyrtaeus himself has at the very outset
'AO. 7rporrrTodleuEEOa yoiv Tpratozv, -irby -4v(pe been claimed not merely as a native of Attica,
mYw 'AOrva-ov, rTvE S 'roAirr'V yeovd~rov ... but as an Athenian. The two poets are intro-
630 'AO. 'H~ets aE ye cyaO&'v )rTwv robreWv T
duced to represent not two districts but two
pacq/ v &/uipEvos elvaL mal roXb rTobes div T- pyi eroy shades of opinion on the question at issue,
7roXE/I, yro'yVO ous apirTroL s StCapavw-s. v iOLTriYV viz. the respective merits of aidois and 6
E ' Kal 1AgfEs UCdpvrpa fXOIAEV, O?oyVElV, ro-erLvT
QwOEv 'ordiEos as tests of a man's good quali-
rOiv Ei KEAXiaC
5 Most modernMEyapefwv.
critics endeavour to remove the ties.

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 3

it is impossible to reconcile conflicting

away, and we must admit that Plato loo
of our poet. But the protests of the an
poems themselves justify us in rejectin
accepting the claims of continental M
strong is the evidence in support of th
critics 7 who refuse to regard Nisaean M
the poet, have found themselves compe
and to admit that at least part of his lif
We must next discuss the question of
deals with the changes in the politic
sovereign power had been taken away
passed into the hands of the 'low,' 't
laws, but wore out with their sides the
outside the city.' This is a reference to
Megara: to fix its date we have but very
we may still arrive at a fair degree of c
of Theognis himself and the stray bits
works of Aristotle and Plutarch. We mu
who raised himself to power by the mea
to tyranny in those days.- Posing as th
the rich landlords who, it would app
fertile tract of land near the river, an
With the help of a body-guard furnish
tyrant, and seems, for a time at least,
How long he ruled we do not know, b
tyrant when his son-in-law Cylon, wit
sent over from Megara, seized the Acro
make himself master of the city. Durin
with works of public utility.11 His r
Plutarch (Qu. Graecae, 18) 12 tells us t
people of Megara; some 13 scholars hav
pulsion was his failure to prevent Sa

< e.g. Didymus, cf. Schol. ad Plat. legg.

the reference 630
to cavalry i
'Das
(quoted by Sitzler) o"'Tws griechische
6 Ai(vl Megara hat
os, iLpvdbetvJoss
ganze Peloponnes bis an das
Hr A rhAd)wL ts raputorOpoIr " : and Harpocration:
ohros 8 l' MJ eyapebs eine
irb iCOv
Reiterei rpbs T? 'Arricj
unterhalten.'
8 Quoted in full below, n. 41. My quotations
Meydpcv- a'-rbs ydp p0oTLV 56 P roLTis-" AOov
IAEY ycp yewe cal is iKceA7vY roTre yatav
are.taken from Bergk-Hiller-Crusius Anthologia
( Theog. 783). Lyrica, 1897 (=B.H.C.) Theognis, pp. 67-122.
7 G. F. Unger ('Die Heimat
9 Aristotle, Pol. von
1305 a. Theognis,'
Philologus 45) takes the poet to be a native of
a Megara on the borders 10 Aristotle, 1357 b. re vUAatchV iKal , aSlo
EilpdvJrv/e.of Macedonia and
Epirus, and a member Pausanias,
11 of the 1. 40. tribe AY0Ices
(cf. Theog. 1209). 1" Quoted below, n. 16.
J. Beloch (Neue Jahrb. 13 e.g.f. Phil.
Bergk, u Piid. 1888)
Griech. Litteraturgeschichte ii.
accepts the view of Plato,
p. 305. chiefly on account of
B2

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 4 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

Athenians when they attacked th

capture of Salamis can hardly have oc
above suggestion, for it would giv
five years, in which case his nam
Aristotle in his list of long tyrannie
the tyranny of Hieron and Gelon,
the reigns of the two tyrants).15 Th
short one, and we shall not be far
six years.
Plutarch16 tells us that after expelling Theagenes the Megarians enjoyed
a short period of 'moderate' government, and afterwards, under the leader-
ship of demagogues 'who gave the people copious draughts of the wine of
freedom,' became thoroughly corrupt and violent towards the rich, entering
their houses and treating themselves to sumptuous banquets at their ex-
pense. Finally they passed a measure compelling the money-lenders to return
the interest they had exacted. In another passage (Qu. Gr. 59) we find a
reference to an incident in the history of this same democracy which the
author refers to as 2 Kd Xaoa'rov qyCtoKparia, 7 Kal c 7tv 7rraXVTroKaav dErotla'E
Katl ryv IepoovuXav. Then follows an account of an act of violence com-
mitted by 7rTW Meyapdov o0 OpaoTraToL ?eOVO'OeiVTEa who, -3peL Icat
/LdOrU7Tt, assaulted a Oeopla HeXowrovzqo-t`v. As the state neglected to
punish the authors of this act of veritable Hooliganism," the Amphictyons
interfered and punished the 'accursed' citizens, some of whom were put
to death and others driven into exile."s The conduct of this democracy
is characterized by the same expressions in the two passages of the
Quaestiones Graecae; its features are ~oAeydeta, L53pLt, 467vr0/ and dragia;
it afforded the stock instance of democratic lawlessness at Megara, and
it is distinguished from all others by the epithet KrkXao'Tro.
If, in other Greek authors who deal with the fortunes of Megara, we
find references to a democracy in which prominence is given to the violence
and lawlessness of the commons, we shall, unless it is otherwise stated,
not be wrong in assuming that the one referred to by Plutarch is
meant.

14 i.e. if we accept 624 B.C. as the latest date

'veuepiav 'av T 6v a-aywyiv oivoxoo'vrwv, SLa-
possible for the attempt of Cylon.
p ape'vres ravrc7rao-t, 'rd TarE -Aa "Tos rAouoloLs
15 Aristotle, 1315 b. ~vrv e ,oir&v h (,rcv)
a&<rva s orpoEcp;povpro, Cal XrapLod'rES cls I as
7repI 'Ipwva Kal rcxwva 'repl :upaKov'oas. Er 'OLKL'as avrCvv of ?rvres 77louv oTa'iifOat iCal
ob ' a'r? roAAX& i~tLEtvELVV, &ax rh r76 ar'avrraeL7rveiv rrWoAUTv~N ' CEL 5 E') "yxdavOLteV, 7WphS
Svue-v E'ovra EIKOOL' e'Awv AV yap br7& Tupav-
$Bav Kaid )O' ~tE ws eXp roS wOa TaL. Tc-OS S
VE6OC.S 1) 'y(dOy roY BLov C bIeAXeEV , 8c'Ka GSo'ypa Od'UEot, Trobs r Kous aVETrpd(XTOI o . apa

8' 'Ipwv,
7rEV. Opaaomouvos
a BI SwoAxal S 7r ivSEKd'rcy
T&V orupavviLxvv ~Arqv ?- Tr&v avE-rLUvV, ois ~E&CKO'TES 6TyCXaVov, TwaAhtV-
ALyoXpo'vat ToKlav Trb yivd4EVov 7rpooayoptlravrES.
wrtaai yeydvaat vavre-Ajs. " ol /Iuv Meyape7s VL' &atav 7T7 7SworLeLas
16 Quaestiones (Graeae, 18. x7h7laaV 70TDBKi?/IaToS.
MEyapeis eayE'v7y, rbv rupavvov, EK aXdvres, 18 As Athens had her oEto'dXOta and Tb dyoS

AI7yov Xpdvov Eo'w~p"o'vY-av rKara' r7v 7'oAL'relav" so Megara had her '7raAvwroKIa and oi dray?EZs.
eTra wroAA?v-KaT` IHXa7rwva-Kal &Kpa'rov a'Drons

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 THEOG4NIS AND HIS POEMS. 5

For further light on the subject we m

totle,19 1304b. wraparwXrllw 20 1ca Ia' dv M
ol ryhap 8rpaywyoL 'va Xpr.ara 'XwO't Yo1AESLev, d/aXXov -roXXobv r(ov
7yOplkwP, ew rowoXXXok roroly'av T cvteyovTra, of & e"aTt oPrEbuev iKiflap
C/aXOdPe/vot TOv 8 lov Kal xardo-rrlo-av 7 Tv 3XtapXIYav.
1302 b. dv Trai ;8oKpaTi'at [o-raaoLdovo-w] ol e 7ropot k aTrapov3-
oavT7e 7T9 aT7a4ta9 at al2vapxtav, o0ov Kalt dEl O/3at, e" rTi d v Oivot -
Tot? aldXvcac KaK( o roXtevoi6vot1s? 8 qr/oKpaTia teopo, ical ? Meyapewv
&t'"TraTiav Kat c vapXiav rTT'wro)9EV , Kat Ev UvpaKlcouat9 7rp0 T 9 IeXaovo9
-rvpavvato0, 0caL dv 'Pda6 ,o, rpo 77 1? a dravaoardo-ewo .
The characteristics of this Megarian democracy are exactly those given
by Plutarch: if Aristotle had not the a/coXao-roo 8,toicpaT-ra in mind when
he was talking of Jo-e'kyeta, iTraf~a, avapXa, and confiscations, he would
surely have said so, especially as in the very same passage he is so careful
to specify the other examples he adduces, e.g., dV O4/3at /pe-rta 7r'v IrKX;
there was no need of further description in the case of Megara, as the
reference was at once plain to all."2 We gather from Plutarch that demo-
cracy was established after a short period of ' moderate' government sub-
sequent to the expulsion of Theagenes. A sentence in the Poetics of
Aristotle (ch. 3: 3) may give us further help in fixing the date.22 The
Megarians, we are told, claim comedy as their own, dating its inventiort d~l
T771 7rap' abTot 8i7/oicpaTria9.
The Parian marble (B.C. 264-3).23 tells us that the people of Icaria
instituted competitions in comedy at a date somewhere between 581
and 562 24: Susarion is referred to as the 'inventor.' Whether the above
statement is correct or not, we can certainly draw the following conclu
People living less than sixty years after Aristotle 25 believed that com
were performed in Attica before 562 B.C. In the time of Aristotle (wit

opponents in battle but returned under an

19 The ancients attributed a MEyapE'wv *roX-
-rEa to Aristotle. Strabo, lib. vii. 7 at 'Apwa-
agreement
222 -T s l'V(cOovowoX-yead'?evo Kardtyovea).
,cwbP3tas (&e-rrtIrotoDTrat) of M-yape-s,
-rTohovS 7FOXLTEal 82AoX0l.lY . .. (P77T1. . . EJ T?
'OVrovvwv , Kal MEeapdwv.
oY E dv'raOa, OCs *rl r 7s rap' ab'roes llo7paTras
yevo?LEV7ls, Kal ot i K 21KENcaS.
20 apaAXnyfcts refers to the preceding in-
23 Flach, Chronicon Parium, 1884, Christ
stances of the statement made at the beginning
of the chapter, viz. alt pfI ov 6n'joepaTata
'Gr. Litt.-Gesch.' in Miiller's Handbuch, vol.
vii. ed. 3, 1898, p. 557.
la~utawra LETrac'AXover 6th a'4v TLv 6?7Aaywywvv
24 There was a definite date engraved on the
21 Another passage in the Politics probably
marble, but it is no longer legible. The entry
comes in between the archonship of Damasias'
refers to the overthrow of this democracy:
and the tyranny of Pisistratus: Flach, p. 18,
1300a repl Tas h a'pX@v KaraTordoELs...
? 39 'p' Oe tV 'AO[?V]ais Kw1Ay[8civ Xo]p[?s
i*TFep ?v MEybpots EK TV UrvyKaTEXOOdVTWV Kal
q6up]E'Om
a aevq.uaXEraAYEwv wrpbS rbv bl Upov. Some (e.g. [ern]eodev[TW airrabv] -rvep 'IKapLEWV,
Cauer) refer 1300 a, 1302 b, and 1304 b to the
ebpdvros Zoveaplwvos, Kal a'ov 7'Ie9 7rp&-rop
return of the exiles narrated in Thuc. iv. 74,
rXatdl[v] preLXo[s] Kal ovov [ [aop]c [is].
but as Welcker pointed out in.his Prolegomena
Bergk reads dv &udcats KOwUPa qbpteO i r.
Litt.-Gesch.
to Theognis (p. xii.) this is impossible owing to iv. p. 43.
25and
the words dvL'ieqav p aXdyupevo, /'TTn'OfV'Tv Some think that the compiler of the
chronicle derived his information from a pupil
a-vuLaxaulEvwv : for the exiles of 424 did not
secure their restoration by defeating of
their
Aristotle.

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 6 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

being contradicted by him) the

comedy. They would not be ab
unless they asserted that come
previous to the popularly acce
appearance of Susarion: whether
a question which does not concern

The date they gave was errtl

democracy must have been estab
good many years earlier. What h
the oligarchs must remain a m
the commons again made them
democracy which remained in
must be modified, as Thucydides
(424 B.C.) with the words: cat 7
7yEvot/V7 dIC r"-aaeWov eQ'7r~a
written before 396 B.C. (the p
oligarchy of 424 must have brok
ably less than thirty years in po
political power at Megara chan
assigned by Welcker to democrac
Poems which undoubtedly belo
state of things parallel to that d
can be proved that lie wrote poe
soon after the democratic rev
writing poems for the special be
of a man who has wide experie
father.29 We can infer that the a
revolution was at least thirty.
Although the elegy 773-782 d
hesitate to accept it as genuine, for
the citadel for Alcathous proves
Megarian and besides Theognis
have written it. It is a prayer ad
the wanton horde of the Medes
Theognis was born before the clo
in the above lines cannot be to t

"6 Aristotle does not mention him. oligarchique qui renversa le gouvernement de
7 Welcker, Proleg. xii. 'Plebs postea denuoMegara.' Cf. F. G. Schneidewin, DelectusPoet.
superior facta est, quum 01. 89. 1. ex demo-Eleg. Graec. (1838), p. 54, 'quum principatus
cratia iterum paucorum dominatum restitutumnobilium denuo popularibus turbis cessisset:
esse constet ex Thucyd. iv. 74 ; cf. v. 31'; alsoqui status ad Olymp. 89. 1. usque obtinuit.'
xiii. 'popularis status qui ad 01. 89. 1. msque23 This is discussed in detail below.
tenuit.' Cf. St. Hilaire in a note to ch. iii. 3 "' Theog. 27-30.
of his translation of Aristotle's Poetics (1858) :
'cette dnxmocratie dura sans doute jusqu'a la 'AO$E- &cva,, aorbos 7E ivXpyotras 7To'Av
&eplPy,
guerre du P6loponnkse : du moins Thucydide, 'AAcEaOdL, fhAoros watirl Xapt(LdYvos.
livre iv. ch 74, parle-t-il de la r6volution

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 7

to the terror caused by the sudden app

in Asia, when some of the Asiatic Gre
seek a refuge across the sea.31 The gen
757-768 (probably written by the same
circumstances of 545 B.C. than the yea
army in Greece itself. The language us
but rather a cloud looming on the h
possible by the want of agreement am
of calling his fellow citizens to arms a
poet urges them to drink and be merry
The care of the city he is quite will
to our calculations the age of Theogn
545 B.c., and this accords very well
'baleful old age' should be kept aw
arrived at agree with those given by an
who place the poet's floruit at 01. 5
Pasch. 01. 57, Suidas yeyov~a duv 'ry v9' 'O
Many attempts have been made to r
Megara during the first half of the si
detailed is that of Cauer.34 Starting
tinguishes two periods in the political l
following account. Though an aristoc
political arena as a member of the midd
low birth who had enriched themselves
among them were many mechanics a
Cauer refers to as the 'Handwerkerstand.' He traces the fortunes of this in-
dustrial class up to the time immediately preceding the tyranny of Theagenes
(about 630) when their extreme poverty had driven them to seek a remedy
in revolution. It was mainly by their help that the tyrant raised himself to
power, and they derived the greatest benefits from his rule, for the only

a' Cf. the threat of Cyrus, Herod. i. 153seventh century B.c. ; and this is one of his
reasons for refusing to regard Theognis as a
-OLOLta, v E-y& 6vyralvw, ob 'r& 'IWcvwv 7rdOea tarat
IAfEaXa &AAa 'd& obcjLa. native of Megara Nisaea. He tacitly admits
32 Herzberg attributes it to Xenophanes, cf. that if this Megara was the home of Theognis,
Sitzler, 1'heognidis Jeliquiae, p. 36, note 64 a.the poet must have lived at the end of the
33 Theog. vv. 891-4 are taken by Christ (Gr. seventh century. His interpretation of 773-
Litt.-Gesch. p. 131) to refer to the Athenian 782, which he takes to refer to the events of
expedition under the Cypselid Miltiades in the the year 480 B.c., compels him to reject this
year 506 B.c., and are used as an argument in early date; and he consideis that the political
favour of a later date for Theognis (757 sqq.,elegies refer to the struggles between the nobles
773 sqq., refer to the expedition of Mardonius and the people in Sicilian Megara, as the other
Megara had passed through the same crisis
492 B.c.). But there is no good ground for
more than a century before.
attributing the elegy (891-4) to Theognis, nor
is the reference so clear as Christ would have 34 Parteien und Politiker in Megara mnd Athen,
us believe. Beloch, in the article referred tovon Friedrich Cauer, Stuttgart, 1890, cf. F.
above (note 7), states his belief that Megara Cauer, Studien zu Theognis in Philologus 48,
had passed through the social revolution (seine49, 50.
grosse Revolution, sein 1789) at the end of the

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 8 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

record we have of his reign refe

fall of the tyrant was a great bl
own against the nobility, and
nobles were still at the head of t
In the poems that belong to th
party as citizens (darol): the no
praises his own comrades, the
y/e/.ovel and expresses his fear t
tyranny."7 After this, Theognis
went over to the aristocracy,
enthusiasm. Henceforth he appea
caste-feeling, his old companio
'bad,' ol raaoi, for that is the n
them in tones of bitter hatred an
with them or attend their gathe
in power when the poet chang
Athens and the loss of Salamis almost ruined the nobles; for as the in-
dustrial class was not called upon to defend the state against her enemies',"
the brunt of the fighting fell on the aristocracy, their land was laid waste,
their foreign trade ruined, and their coffers drained by the expenses of a war
which they alone had to meet, while their political opponents were allowed
to pursue their trade undisturbed and rapidly amassed princely fortunes by
the sale of arms. The icarol now felt themselves strong enough to demand a
share in the government: they were successful in their demands and received
a share in the administration of the law. Cauer sees a reference to this in
Theog. v. 60 which he translates: 'und kannte weder die Rechtspriiche 'd
Edlen noch die der Gemeinen.' Finally they practically deprived the nobl
of all power and ruled the state with a rod of iron, stifling all opposition
driving their critics to seek refuge in riddles and parables (Th. 667-682).
The next change was brought about by the revolt of the population of t
country districts; their condition had been one of extreme poverty and t
had derived no benefit from the events described above. They now r

35' Allerdings scheint es, dass Theagenesformersich glories.

auf jenen Stand gestiitzt hat. Denn das einzige,3" ' Diese (31-36) Stellen sind geschrieben, ehe
was von seiner Regierung erzdhlt wird, der die Gemeinen [ol KaKof] die politische Macht
Bau
einer Wasserleitung (Paus. 1, 40, 41) lagerrungen
im hatten, welche ihnen Theognis nicht
Interesse der stadtischen Bevdlkerung' (p. 31).
gdnnte.'
36 'Noch an einigen Stellen bei Theognis 39 'Sie waren nicht verpflichtet-oder nicht
erscheint der Adel als der allein herrschende berechtigt-zum Kriegsdienste ' (p. 29) : a state-
Stand ' (p. 32). ment which Cauer endeavours to prove by the
37 What reason had a member of this middle- help of Theognis 865-868. Is it likely that
any state would keep such a large section of the
class party to view the rise of a tyrant with
fear ? It was the fall of a tyrant that hadpopulation in idleness at a crisis which threat-
ruined their prospects. The devoted adherentened its very existence ?
of a party that owed all its power and pros-40 'Faktisch waren sie eine Zeit lang die
herrschende Partei . . . Diese Partei iibte einen
perity to the tyrant Theagenes would not be so
horrified at the thought of a return to theirsolchen Terrorismus aus,' u,s.w. p. 31.

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 9

en masse, took the town by storm, and es

revolution that Theognis refers in vv. 53-
Plausible as the above theory may appe
mainly for the following reasons. Theage
champion of the industrial class. Of this
offered beyond a mere reference made by
aqueduct built at the tyrant's orders. It i
agenes came forward as the protector of t
appeal for support to the passage in the P
for the attack on the fertile lands of the
favour of the distressed peasants whose l
ductive hillsides. It was easier to set up a
Aristotle in the same passage, because th
busy at work. Theagenes, like Pisistratus (
more than once by Aristotle), probably
peasant farmers and to keep them busy w
land ; he had no wish to see them flockin
seems to have carried out with great succe
on the land. and kept aloof from polit
vv. 53-60).
It is hard to see how any reader of The
that the poet ever changed sides in poli
man who has always been true to the cre
and has never swerved in his allegiance t
could never have come from the lips of a
very offence he himself denounces, nor
speak in such self-confident tones to a pu
reproaches hurled at those he was now ca
the only possible saviours of society.
Again, the language used by Theognis i
clear that thle rule of the nobles was imm
and thus there is no room left for the ass
and the industrial class which led to the t
to the revolution only two classes are men
and the new comers; and he describes the
are now 'bad' and the 'bad'' good.' This
before' held exclusively by the 'good,' (tha
it at one swoop : there was a complete re
term Kalol to deDote the wealthy midd
nobles (dyaOoli) and the common people (
exist. In vv. 57, 58 we are told that th

4' Theog. 53-60. ical YPYO da' -ya0ot, noAvra7r of 8 erply oOAo0
vPO eLaol- iLS KE rar' apeXOir' OopwY ;
Kvpe, rdAs
o 7rpda6' obre ~Iv P' Iweaa
81 icas 8e ?OkTcE
rdAidP4ovS,
As, Aao'i 86 &AALo, &AAiAovs 8' &rarwa vE'r w' AAAAowijot yeA@zvrEs-,
&AA' &Aupl rAevp1TL Sopphs alyY (icarerpltOY, OIrE ICaiCyP yYdOpas EL8rES OUT' ayaO'v.
oo 6' 8 o' EAacoL '1i7jc' r iYa8 LOYp o rXAeos,

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 10 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

'good' are 8etXol, and &etXoi, as Ca

commons who have now acquire
terms icaKol and eriXol are consta

just as VtyaOol and do-kol are use

101, 2.4 In another version44" of
caxol is substituted for SetXol, but
on this point, as the second versio
intentionally changed the order o
term Theognis uses KaKiol withou
birth, and also for those who de
Kadyv in v. 60 must refer to the
means 'they do not know the dist
men,' that is, they do not know ho
they have assumed the role of day
KaKo/.47
Nor can we accept Cauer's interpretation of 39-42, though he is partly
supported by most editors of Theognis, who assume that the poet is here
protesting against the violence of his own colleagues in the aristocratic
party. In vv. 41, 42 the blame is attached to the ?Tye/Yovev, .and by this
Theognis must mean the ' leaders' of the masses, for he never blames the
nobles, nor is it likely that he would use the word KaxKorrT in referring to the
conduct of the ayaOol.4s The elegy was written when the commons had
already seized political power, but had not yet begun to use it in their own
interests. So far they are 'prudent,' but they are- not likely to remain so,
as their leaders are egging them on. It is these demagogues who 'give the
masses copious draughts of the wine of liberty' that are made responsible for
the excesses of the democracy by Aristotle, Plutarch, and Theognis himself.

42 Philologus 50, p. 534, ' Darumi klagt Theo- 1114 ovrT' &yaO&v . . . oTr EKagKCV.
gnis, dass die Plebs die Stelle der edlen Ge- "4 In spite of his carefully-drawn distinctions
schlechter einnimmt und die Edlen zu Gemeinen Cauer translates SEAoL and KaKoL here by the
same word die Gemeinen.
geworden sind. ... von den caicof, den wohl-
habenden Biirgern, ist 57 noch keine Rede: 47 Liddell and Scott quote v. 60 s.v. ydy=
'token, mark.'
erst 60 werden sie erwtihnt und von der ebeni
zur Herrschaft gelangten Menge ausdriicklich48 39-42;
unterschieden.' KdpVe, K'L 7trcALS ME, 540LKa 1 a3 T'Kp Ppa
43 Mnades o' v0p Trwov 7rEPlo i KaKbV vpa ebOuv'rijpa KaK2S iUpLOs ipieTE'pnrs.
aoBo phY y&cp f" ' o'Ae oao'opoves, ryeoy'ves 8E
Klpve- T1 8r E' o (hEAos eSLAhbs avp 4Aos
TErpdJpaatra rohXAvY is KaKdTrra rEooev.
43-52 :

44 Theog. 1109-1114. ObaedCw'ay rw, Kipv', &yaOol rdAsv &VAeoav &vspes

Kvpv', of rpeO' a'ya~o' viv aL Kacol', of S caKocol aAA' 5ravy bpCilev ro71OL KaKOLOLY ,
rplYv o'6qvre pOeipwoa, licas 7T' aLOLuTL L SOLY
oKELWY KepUCWv E'vEKa Kal KpdTEOS,
vPv ayaOo" Tris KCE 7a7rv' a&vxoTr' doop&v ;
45 57 'yaOo' . . . oS E rplv dEohof I vv SELhol 9AnEo p 87?pbV K etlv 7dAv Y &Tpe'rp' oEo-at,
1109 of rpdo' a&ya6Ool vv a 'catco, o Bt S aK~o1
t vv' El P V 7roX iKEvTat 'v yOUvX 1,
7plv ' v?v' &yaOof. E7& ov 7OL KaOIcoL i lx' &VpCL r5a i ra y7al
KIEpSa SnI~oTlfcp 1Cv icaK(PipX41va.
59 & rarcvoJr . . yeX&vres.
1.113 arar&vres. .. yeArXhcw. EK T'v )'p Oc 'roLeS TE Kal * 'u4NOL d6VOL &v pi@V
60 otTE KcgKWV . . . orT' &yaOv. yovapXoL O'V 7r0'Xe OAt ovre 7 6 e doL.

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 11

The two elegies 39-42, 43--52 are exactl

the same state of affairs. In the second we
ruined a state,' but where the 'bad ' are law
[this proves that the bad are already in po
to private gain, that state will soon be ruine
perfect quiet: for the lawlessness of the ' b
tyranny. The KarKol of the second elegy ar
both elegies they are accused of ippq. oaro-
/r;8' el iv-V 7roXXp K#cera-t d av<XrI. In b
may be chosen to direct the people in thei
half a century before, Theagenes led them
is what I take to be the meaning of line
lawlessness in our state.' "9
I suggest the following as a probable
Megara during the life-time of Theognis. A
the nobles ruled the state and refused to gi
in the government. This exclusiveness on th
a temporary alliance between the town pop
facturers and merchants of the middle cla
the country districts. There was a revoluti
lished. Before long there was a split in the
instigation of their leaders, attacked the r
party considerations, and passed measures d
their property. The nobles and richer midd
by community of interests, and a new polit
between members of the old nobility and t
class became frequent, and distinctions of birt
Some of the nobles still held aloof and look
social barriers with dismay. Theognis can se
except in a return to the good days when
protests with great bitterness against the co
marriage with the 'bad' and 'low.' But he w
for self-interest and their common losse
citizens closer and closer together; great n
property confiscated and were driven in
together with an army, attacked the disor
them. A new constitution was drawn up in
shared by all who had taken part in the rest

49 Cf. EVOVVrVJp ofa? Aesch. Suppl.

cJ&pO7T7v', 717.
XXaer-js 7-jyE/ldva OYdirto,
This elegy (39-42) occurs a which
a reading second time
is still more in to the
favourable
the collection (1081 sqq.) explanation
where here instead
suggested.of v. 40
we read 50 Aristotle 1300 a.

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 12 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

II.

The Arrangement qof the Toems.

The Theognidea, as we possess them, consist of two books; the second of

these, which deals exclusively with the love of beautiful boys, is found only
one MS. (Mutinensis 10th cent.),"1 and is certainly not the work of Theogni
himself. The first book contains a very great amount of foreign matter, an
must be very different from what passed under the name of Theognis in th
days of Plato and Isocrates. Many attempts have been made to discover some
general plan or method in the arrangement of the poems. The whol
collection is not arranged according to subject-matter, nor is there an
reason to suppose, as some have suggested, that the poems were onc
arranged in alphabetical order.,5 Of all the theories advanced the mos
plausible is perhaps the catchword theory, which was first suggested with
extreme caution by Welcker in his edition of Theognis (1826), was afterwar
worked out in detail and stoutly upheld by Nietzsche,53 further exemplifie
sharply criticized and modified, but still accepted in part by Fritzsche,54 an
has received the qualified approval of one of the greatest authorities on th
subject, J. Sitzler, who has given us the best equipped and most compr
hensive edition of the poems.55
It will be convenient to take Nietzsche's article as the basis of our
investigation. Before introducing his own theory, he denies that ther
any trace of arrangement according to subject-matter:' the poems are
even gathered together under special headings, as for instance, Wreptl
7rept o'vov' (p. 170); a statement which is quite true so far as it refers
collection taken as a whole, for we certainly do not find all the poems
subject collected into a single group: but we can trace the seque
thought in many parts of the collection, and we often come across a s
several poems dealing with the same topic,56 and, as we shall se
section57 of the book is very carefully put together, with opening pra
general introduction, headings, subheadings, and epilogue: and it
very section which gives the best support to Nietzsche's theory. He s
his theory as follows: 'Our collection then is not arranged accord
subjects or letters of the alphabet, but according to words [or expres

51 1231-1389 with the title E,/yELWvclosely connected in subject-matter.

3'. The
same MS. gives to the first book (1-1220)
53 the
Rheinisches Museum, 1867, p. 161-177.
title O6EdyYLoS E'Aee'w a'. 54 Philologzus xxix. pp. 526-546.
52 Though every reader of the book 5- must
Theognidis Reliquiae, 1880.
56 e.g. 155-72 seven poems on the uncer-
have been struck by the occurrence of several
successive elegies beginning with thetainty
same of human affairs, 467-510 conviviality,
letter (e.g. 73, 75, 77, 79 : 611, 615, 617971-1012
: 619, ten poems on conviviality, 1039-
621, 623), the cases are not numerous enough 1048 conviviality, 1082c-1102 eight poems on
to justify us in assuming such an arrangementfriendship.
for the whole collection ; and besides, this 57 1-254.
would necessitate the separation of elegies

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 13

.The fragments are linked together by catch

word [or similar expressions] in every pair of
his theory he proceeds to discuss two sets o
'apparent' and (2) 'real.' 'Sometimes in the
we find a catchword connecting a with c, bu
with c.' Here the exception is only appare
according to Nietzsche, assume that 'b is no
either a or c.' 59 Before accepting this canon wi
first prove the existence of the catchword prin
and even then we should not be justified in
poems, in defiance of all probability and
combination will supply a missing link in th
but a blind adherence to the catchword theor
such poems as 959-62 and 963-70, or 181-2
Next come the 'real' exceptions. According
in the series of catchwords is due to an omi
the editor of the 'last edition' of the poems
unable to find a suitable catchword, he wen
incorporated in his collection, selected one t
and inserted it a second time. Later copyists,
superfluous, omitted many of them. There
for this extraordinary theory. The object of
told, is to supply catchwords. A glance at th
that in most cases they have no catchwords a
neighbours. Nietzsche's remedy for this is mo
does not give us a catchword, he adds an
repeated poem, and frequently we can find
the poems for whose special benefit the rep
been brought in. The following may serv
Nietzsche's explanation of these repeated poe
Most of the repeated poems occur massed tog
of the book. Between 1080 and 1083 come tw
have occurred before (39-42, 87-90)."6 They
them with one another or with the precedi
hold the catchword theory here, Nietzsche had
originally included eight more lines, wh
93-100 forming one poem with 1083, 4 whic

58 'Unsere Sammlung ist also

repeated poems weder nach
are printed exactly as they
Gedanken noch nach Buchstaben stand in the text of thegeordnet.
best manuscript. Other
Wohl aber nach Worten. Nach Stichworten editors generally content themselves with a
sind die Fragmente an einander gereiht, so
reference in the notes.
dass je zwei Fragmeiite ein gleiches oder61 Only three repetitions occur before 1038;
ahnliches Wort gemein habeii.' p. 171. all the rest (excepting half a dozen in the
5 P. 171. The elegies are not divided in ourPaedica) occur between 1038 and 1185.
best MSS., so that we have no good manuscript 6" Lines 93, 4 are not repeated here in the
tradition to guide us in making our divisions. MSS., although Bekker and Bergk2 state that
60 In Bergk-Hiller-Crnsius' Anthologia all thethey are.

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14 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

been the closing couplet of 93--1

with a gap at each end of the gro
after 1084). Leave out the repeat
catchword E'O6Xv (1079, 1083).
Between 1160 and 1163 we hav
catchwords. Nietzsche joined the fi
impossible combination) and so foun
1157.63 The next entry in his sc
failed to connect the third repetiti
the three repetitions and we get ca
Nietzsche, 8v/atv (1160)= v0oo (1163
Between 1164 and 1165 we ha
415-418). In subject they are cl
couplets (1165 sqq.) With 1163, 4
make them fit in with his theory, Nie
first, and to connect the second of
was compelled to form one poem ou
The poems are repeated, he says,
that we may have to introduce two
reason could there possibly be fo

catchword, as 'Taipov
words at all, (1164
e.g. 1104 a, 116
a-1106,
catchword joining them forward
1114 ab, 332 ab, 509,510.64 Ther
with satisfactory catchwords (
repetitions give us no help in provi
would be far more plausible to main
according to catchwords and that th
by the insertion of repeated poems.
Nietzsche's theory fails to accou
passages which he assumes to have
The editor, he tells us, vwent ba
Nietzsche's scheme 66 we have se
cannot be filled by using any poem
own rule, he adds 1179 after 172, and
As a rule Nietzsche does not specify
Fritzsche has endeavoured to do so,
and 31 of the first 40, are filled w
book. If we accept the theory, we m
noticing the repetition of any poem
it occurred. for the second time, a

63 This couplet (1157-8) for the poems isthatnot

deal withfound
the same subject.
in the
MSS. of Theognis, but 65 ' Er has
griff zuriick
been zu den schon gebraunchten ' fro
inserted
Stobaeus. [Fragmenten] p. 172.
6 Here as elsewhere catchwords can be found 66 p. 173.

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 15

it first occurred, a supposition which is absu

the earlier MSS. are found in one place only
it is always the repetition which is omitted.67
'The older our MS.', says Nietzsche, 'the gr
tions it contains'; that is a fact; therefore, h
oldest we possess will contain still more repet
at an original MS. which contained all the re
series of catchwords. This argument will not
repetitions we must assume to have dropped
history of our text is far too great. The dif
repetitions in our oldest MS. (A. 10th century
consists of less than forty lines. To account
arrangement,69 we must assume that at least
the interval of five centuries 70 that elapsed
original MS, and our tenth century A.
When a poem is repeated in the MSS., it is o
ent form, so that we may almost consider it a
the difference is but slight. Nietzsche endeav
assuming that the editor purposely changed t
of variety. But the changes are frequently
explained away and point to the existence of
poems. A good argument against his theo
elegy which begins with ij'a uot (or ~j3oto
certain, but there is no doubt that the first
f- -). After 1070, where the couplet ag
contain the repetition read Tre'pred oot,
required as a catchword (= ijprv 1070).
quite ignore the testimony of the MSS. a
of 877.
Nietzsche has taken four sections of th
arrange them according to catchwords. In th
been fairly successful in finding similar wo
poems. In the second and third sections (4
words are not so satisfactory, he has taken m
the text, and the catchword connection is br
last section (1235-1389), the poems all dea
paedica), and accordingly supply more or less

67 e.g. A alone repeats 209, 10 after sind

Fragmenten 332, 112
all Luicken de
the other MSS. have it in bindung.'
the first place only.
68 We must remember70 that the
Nietzsche dates our repeated
collection between 433
A.D. and Stobaeus.
poems are not the only things omitted in the
71 Cf.
younger MSS. e.g. 937, 8 are 53-60 and 1109-1114.
omitted in 10 MSS.
69 Fritzsche has arranged 72
the whole
Occasionally theycollection
are too trivial.
according to catchwords, 73 and though
Generally he
some form uses
of ipA- or dp(-) and
very simple and common & 7raT.words, his scheme
still contains 112 gaps. Cf. p. 543 'In den 370

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 16 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

We shall now consider Nietzsche's a

First come four elegies addres
is invoked, Artemis in 11--14, a
easy enough to find a catchwor
Nietzsche's series is 1-10, At '-
Ato(--ehro;. By taking 1-10 as
identical expressions, but 1-10 are
all the editors.74
Are we to believe with Nietzsche that these elegies are placed next to one
another merely because they contain similar expressions ? In poems on the
same subject we can almost always find similar words or expressions, and where
the poems are arranged according to subject-matter, Nietzsche has not much
difficulty in drawing up his scheme; but as we shall prove, his theory breaks
down completely where we have a rapid succession of elegies on different
subjects. In this first section (1-260) the poems have been very carefully
arranged and those on the same subject and even on the different aspects of
the same subject are grouped together. And this is how it is so easy to
find catchwords in this section, the only part of the book which lends
even a shadow of support to the theory.
I am inclined to look on the greater part of this first section (i.e. 1-254)
as a little collection of Theognidea complete in itself. After the opening
prayers we have first an introductory elegy (19-26) addressed to Cyrnus,
giving the author's name and method of composition. In 27-30, 31-38 he
declares his intention of instructing Cyrnus in the ways of the 'good,' and
states his general mnaxim or text, 'always associate with the "good" and
avoid the "bad."' He then (39-42, 43-52, 53-68) proceeds to discuss the
political situation, and shews how the' bad' are responsible for the ruin of
the state: the poet's young friend is told how to conduct himself under the
new regime, and is warned against making friends of the new masters of
the city. 69-128 are all on the subject of friendship; 69-72 'make friends
of the good': 73-86 five elegies on the scarcity of faithful friends; 87-100
tell us what a friend ought to be and ought not to be : 101-114, three
elegies on ' the " bad " as friends.' 115-128 three elegies on the difficulty
of distinguishing between true and false friends. As we have sixteen poems
(53-128) so closely connected in subject it will be easy to find some word
denoting' friendship' as catchword to connect them. And it is priecisely
words of this kind that Nietzsche has used. In fact we can tell the subject-
matters by merely glancing at the catchwords he uses.75
He has the following scheme for 15-128.76

15-18 KobpaL At6-k-6o; o: 19-30 e7r-~-avivEt : 31-38 avSave : 39-52

8-roX t"Se : 53-60 i8e oXt-'v-aTc^wvtP: : 61-68 da'ra'-o-rov3aaov :
74 1-4 is complete in itself and 5-10 is (Ard",,) SEtd 11-14 Oead-6-ya'rp ArdS.
probably a fragment of a Delian hymn, and 7a e.g. some form of wr16T- (wruavYos) occurs in
was very likely inserted as a parallel to the every one of the six poems 53-86 (taking 79-86
first elegy. Fritzsche keeps the poems apart as one poem).
and his series is 1-4 &va (A-Trois) 5-10 &va4 76 P. 173.

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 17

69-72 o7rovaov-7orp-/y': 73-76 rpi-v--wr

77t-ro7o--yX'-alo : 87-92 ryXaco : 93-100
avqp / Io0": 113-114 iv~pa 0XkIov--bratpov :
1.19-128 KL/%crkov.
The catchwords here often seem prettily
A mere glance at the text will shew us on w
series rest. Nietzsche takes 19-30 as one p
itself and will not bear the addition. As
longer at our disposal: we cannot follow
to 43-52 77; so 1y (44) is also disposed of
catchwords. Fritzsche has 78 9-26 e`rrn-o
glalov: 31-8 /aerq9o-eat-KcaKcoo-tv: 39
?TOXCtL 7 T%.

The second group of three (wrrt076) has be

75,6, a combination which is not impossible,
purpose he could with equal appr6priateness
necessary have formed one continuous poem
by Nietzsche numerous other catchwords
groups, for here, as elsewhere, similarity of
expression. In the third group of three, t
appears if we follow BHC in keeping 87,8
group of three keeps together only if w
poems. Even if we follow BHC in the arran
find catchwords e.g. 87,8 OtXet& , vdo9:
92-100 kIXo9, ryX(i--": 101-4 01Xo9, 3
tXhdr'T'9, tLXO', KaKov," eXovUot.
Nietzsche is hardly justified in combini
117,8; if we separate them, there is a break
unless we accept Fritzsche's 7ravp repot = aXer
129-72 contain general remarks and reflec
deal with our relations towards the gods, and
the dominant note is 'all is chance ! we kn
to find any catchwords to connect 129-4
such weak links as dvypl and Ovyp7ro't.79 R
five gaps.so
For the next elegies Nietzsche has the v
dper1: 149-50 dper4-r--av5p' 61&o't: 151,
next poem is 153-8 fi/3ptv-/-,rore. This com
the two parts (153,4, 155-8) have no conn
know ('AOrel. IloX. 12) that the couplet 15
is no reason for adding the next four line

77 All the editors print these separately.

Is 129-30 hvspi; 131,2 &hv0pWroat; 1
7" If we follow Bekker in printing
avOpc7rpv 27-8,
; 133,4 Over~yv.
29-30 as two elegies, we then getwe
so Unless four poems
join the smaller elegies to
onewe
without a catchword, unless long poem.
take K6pYE.
H.S.-VOL. XXIII. C

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 18 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

a gap in the catchword series. B

159,60 and 161-4 Nietzsche avo
after 160.81 Next we get 165,6 X/
but we cannot follow him in form
169,70; this gives us a gap after 1
After 172 there is a gap whic
giving us catchwords 6eoo--e
'poverty': we have here three po
183-208 deal with the contrary,
scheme 173-80 form a single poe
(180,1) has been joined to the foll
with a new subject. The catchw
&G?eula-Xp7paaTa.83 : 189-96 yXp
Even if we reject Nietzsche's com

173-8 7revtly, Xp4: 179-80 7errv

xaXe7ry, Kipve.
Xpilta. This Then
proves howa easy
gap : it
1
same subject.
After 208 Nietzsche has a gap which he fills with 333,4 tXrjop)
--eyovr'. 209-36 consist of nine elegies containing maxims and
reflections on various subjects. 237-54 form a closing elegy in which the poet
tells Cyrnus of the fame he has won for him.8" After 210 there is a
gap in Nietzsche's scheme, and another after 212. To get rid of the
difficulty he proposes to omit 211,2. Then he gives us 213,4 opyy:'v
215-20 3pyrjv (were it not for the recurrence of 8pyqjv he would have taken
213-8 as a single poem, a proceeding to which we could hardly object). It
is just these endless possible combinations that make it so easy to arrange
the poems in this section according to catchwords. To avoid two gaps he
has joined 215-8 to 219,20 (an impossible combination) and we get
the series 215-20 arpo0r7ry: 221-6 alpcov: 227-32 dopooirvr-. His
reason for joining 215-8 and 219,20 was to make up for the want of a
catchword to connect them, and also to find a catchword (&Tpowt 'rl 218) to
serve as a link with elegy 221-6.

The next links are 233-6 rKEvE0opovt--Xty? T rTLe/I EI'tIopEv : 237-54

OX"yt7 rvycxvao aloi3o": 255-6 TrvXetv-cdXXCorov: 257-60 KcaXi. The
above series is far from convincing, for d4poo-vrn and ~~KEPEOpovt are not
good catchwords, and the next two are twenty lines apart. 233-6 cannot
form one poem, and if we keep the t~wo couplets apart there. will be a gap

11 Unless we accept TEAI7e (160) = 7rhos (164). the two parts of it.
82 Unless we accept avOpc&rwv (168) = vapdss s4 As I have already said (p. 16), I consider
(170). 1-254 to be a small collection of Theognidea
8" B.H.C. print 183-192 as one poem: and complete in itself-other poems were added to
Nietzsche would have done so too were it not it later, or rather it was incorporated in a larger
collection.
for the occurrence of a catchword Xp?/gara in

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 19

after 234 and another after 236, unles

(235) = av8pe, (241).
An examination of Nietzsche's scheme shows us that we find the most
satisfactory catchwords in the groups of poems that deal with the sam
subject, the catchword generally being the very word we should naturally
select as a heading for the section (e.g. glxo9, otvoq, 7r-Xo3oV).s5 And this i
just what we should expect; similarity of thought necessarily implies simi-
larity of language. Given a number of poems on 'friendship' or 'con-
viviality,' we can generally find in each member of the group some word
with the root-meaning 'friend ' or ' drink.' We have also noticed that whe
two poems supply us with a particularly good catchword S6 they are connecte
by something more important than a similar word, for they either contai
exactly the same idea, or the second poem of a pair is a criticism, correction
or modification of the preceding elegy.s7 One of the best catchwords in the
whole book is K/3P8yoO (117, 119), and the two elegies in which it occurs dea
with exactly the same subject, viz. the difficulty of detecting deceit in a friend.
Something might be said for the catchword theory, if in neighbouring poem
we frequently found a fairly striking similarity of expression but no connection
in subject-matter. Occasionally we do find poems undoubtedly placed side
by side on account of similarity of wording alone; but such cases are ex
tremely rare,88 there are not half a dozen in the whole book. With very fe
exceptions we never get a good catchword except where we have similarity o
subject: where there is a break in the sequence of ideas, we have generally
either a very unsatisfactory catchword, or else a gap in the scheme. Th
gaps are most numerous where the subjects change in rapid succession and
the poems are short; s8 the longer elegies frequently supply us with some

85 Poems addressed to the gods are sure to would be a waste.' 'No !' says 931-2
that
'save something to leave behind you, or else no
contain words like
86 Sometimes two Osers, &Oa'varos, the
poems containing ALIssame
7iK.os. one will mourn your death.'
idea offer us no possible catchword. Here 88 OCf. 309, 313 EVV iEV OU vO'rTOow7' . . .V /E. V
according to Nietzsche's theory, we . must iacUvowvois. Cf. 409, 411.
assume that an elegy has dropped out, and s9 e.g. 209-221: a group of maxims that may
possibly we may have to break the sequence of be labelled 'miscellaneous,' with no catchwords
thought by the insertion of a poem containing at all. 260-302 : twelve poems (in Bekker) with
suitable catchwords: e.g. Fritzsche inserted a
seven gaps. The longer poems give us 7rdv'ra
poem on 'poverty' between the two closely- 275 = 7r'dTa 282, Ot68e 282=rTlOELv 286. 523-
connected convivial elegies 1045-6, 1047-8. 596 : twenty-nine poems in Fritzsche's arrange-
87 e.g. 719-28 are a reply to 699-718; 1003-6,ment (30 in Bergk), with fifteen gaps. The
1007-12 give the two sides of the same, catchwords in this last section are 7ro-ror ;
question. 931-2 suggest another solution of the two gaps ; qiXov (noun)-(itxov (adj.) ; a?'xwiv-
problem discussed in 903-30. Nietzsche
abUAri77pos (same subject) ; 3 gaps; 4?vSE--r4vE
arranges 903-932 as follows, 903-922, 923-932. 1iK7YV-aIKathp ; gap ; vpi~p--vspa ; gap;
Whether we take 903-930 as one poem or
7rIhhX-roxhh7V, XPn/?71oa'?7VPxp7/.aIa, Xey--
(which is far less probable) as two, 931-2 must xwv~ tiaXv-E-'ah ds ; 4 gaps ; axKO'Y-XOalp
certainly be taken by itself as a separate elegy. KaKbv 6vspa--xO6aipw; 2 gaps (Nietzsche found
The argument in 903-30 is, 'spend rationally catchwords, /1dp-yov= &pyd !) ; Oes, Oeo' ; 2 gaps;
so that you may neither be in want while you cf. 639-658 ; 843-856.
live, nor yet leave anything behind you, for
c2

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 20 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

word that may serve as link, e.g.

664 = d6r6XoXev 677, e'p~ovo- 675
'It is a fact,' says Nietzsche in s
fragments (more than half) are
assume that the whole collectio
quite correct, but his conclusion b
that the fragments are intentio
certainly cannot be proved. If in
include simple and trivial words,9
bear only the faintest resemblan
without any distinction between t
apart 92 from one another the wo
we are allowed reasonable licence 9
with the same subject; if we are p
be left (provided their number do
the collection) by the insertion
occur later, we shall, with all the
to prove a catchword arrangement
the Theognidea, and generally, I t
attended the efforts of Nietzsche and Fritzsche in their schemes. Had the
supposed 'last editor' of our sylloge really wished to arrange it on the
principle assumed by Nietzsche, he could, with the materials at his disposal,
have handed down the poems in a series containing comparatively few
repetitions. As the range of the Theognidea is very narrow and the whole

90 e.g. ,Ta-ra (1050), aoL (1049), EXXEI (several92 In a group of three poems a, b, c the catch-
word joining b to a often comes near the end of
times in Fritzsche's scheme), r'v8e (541), 6,sss
(495), &a7rEp (449), ob (687), &AXos (796). b, while the catchword for c comes at the
Fritzsche's scheme has 112 gaps (370 poems); very beginning of b. !E.g. 659-66, 667-82,
this number would be more than doubled if we 683-6, with their catchwords AEOE- (664),
refused to admit the very simple words he has
haroXWXEv
have
used so often : e.g. some form of avp (with its noticed (677), ~psovO,where
one instance (675), the
i'p".e, (685). I
catch-

synonyms dv0pwcros and even O7vro's) is used

words are 25 lines apart (LiC'rCW 466 = PLiKC7TOS
491).
as connecting link 35 times, pihos (or some
form of LXeZ-L, &c.) 36, icaids 20, &7aO8s 10,9~ Nietzsche is often very unreasonable as we
Oe's 11, KjpVe 9. Sometimes we have several have seen. The catchword theory may prove
words in two poems that would serve equally fatal to sound criticism and do much to warp
well as catchwords, and we find Nietzsche and corrupt our judgment when we endeavour
using one, and Fritzsche another. Fritzsche isto establish the text of Theognis and to deter-
far, more charitable than Nietzsche in admittingmine the exact length of each poem. We have
simple words. already seen how Nietzsche's theory leads us to
join disconnected fragments : it also induces us
91 olvov = KCwza'dooi (886); 3-yv = EjLL (945);
alao.xpd, = vpaXKCeirs (891) ; py-uara = pyoYVto cut up single poems, or at any rate prevents
us from combining two fragments that ought
(901); ao'(ps = "roZs oVLEviTaL (904) ; ape'r =
to form one poem. 903-930 may or may not
aoocIpqs (942) ; KXXtv'Uevos = "pE*as (949) ; all
the above in a group of eleven poems; aehXos = be a single poem ; the question was settled for
&ppoves ,al v?riuL (1039) ; 7rc'rovOa = xo5p6po- Nietzsche by the occurrence of 7rrc0XEE twice,
earL (1131). Similarity of sound: ESVW5 er=and he printed the lines as two poems; had
rivcOwev (1043) ; ptdp-yov = &p'yd (584) ; ravpd-there been no catchword he would with equal
confidence have printed them as one poem.
epo, = XaXerdrepov (117); I- Oa6eAaCe = tL
icwdia-e (1351); 7rap' acppoaL=-7rap' avcpdap' (627).

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 21

collection may be included under the he

and 'Love,' the number of gaps in Fr
especially if we bear in mind the frequ
words in the Greek language.
Sitzler accepts the catchword theory
are connected sometimes by similarity of
wording, and very often by both. In hi
catchwords by wider spacing of the let
near one another 95 often contain the s
that this is almost always due to simila
and chance can do much.
To satisfy myself on this point, I took up the first collection of short
poems I laid my hands on, and chance favoured my choice. They happened
to be the poems of Asclepiades taken by their editor 96 from here and there in
the Palatine Anthology : they consist of 180 lines, made up of 38 poems (al
elegies, except one), 25 of which contain 4 lines each, eight 6 lines, two
8 lines, two 2 lines, and one 12 lines. Nos. 1-24 are on what may be
called erotic subjects, 25-27 are convivial, 28-38 inscriptions and epitaphs.
Without once resorting to Nietzsche's device of combining different poems, I
managed, with only five gaps, to find a series of catchwords quite as satis-
factory as those provided by Nietzsche in support of his theory.9" It will
be noticed that though we have so many poems on the same subject, th
catchwords do not give us a clue to the subject as often as they do in
Nietzsche and Fritzsche's schemes. The following are the catchwords in
my arrangement of Asclepiades.

1. 7rTepd : 2. 7repa--avTr," 'Epra-a : 3. aTroJ, .pUrTAov : 4. av'ro--,tLkppo'

"Epo(c: 5. veo7yv? "Epos--Xpvo-ev": 6. Xpvoo-3--Epcow: 7. epo'eq---rad0C, ~PCv :
8, 7ado-Xee , 3v-BdEcXOV &poy pv'7ro/a, t8cpva, 7rovXrVv, 18e'v, JegvoJev":
9. o0vov, 8ea1cpvoev-, oroXX, /3rXre, epe-vE-pcv : 10. "ep&w : gap to be filled

by repeating elegy 2 "Epoa--cWov: 11. c<owv-/-3PXov : 12. Troots?-

3otXopat : 13. 2'eOe "98-NtK&': 14. Nutcapf'r7 "-l? : 15. kIXet-Xsy : a
gap to be filled by repeating 12 "Xew "EpwTrev 16. "EpoTe--rTp~oee,
derve,/v: 17. b/pltet, h5XXvla-vv- , k'X~JXva, 7rpollpots : 18. vv', ~uXVee,
6py2v--dpovwrt, paav : 19. #CtovT,100 W / La-- eLtXovrav : 20. ctXAeov7ra-

94 He uses the same licence as Nietzsche and 96 J. A. Hartung; die griechischen Elegiker
Fritzsche in his application of the term 'catch-
unter den ersten Ptolemniern, pp. 53-72. Leipzig
word.' 1859. One of the poems is from the Planudean
9' They need not necessarily be next to one Anthology.
another, for he often marks catchwords in7 With a little more boldness in using
poems separated from one another by one'synonyms'
or I could reduce the number of gaps
to one.
more elegies e.g. wapeo',ra (1151) = apoDoo
(1133) with a long poem 1135-50 between them,
93 Cf. Nietzsche's Bewva waOrcY = ,=Xvv41evos
icip (1114 a).
KptOa-iot KopeGEis (1269) = icptOC&v IEopEO'ls
(1249) with five poems between. There are so
9 Cf. N. oci~ppwv = n~uopov (457), vtC'w =
many catchwords in each poem, especiallyaviKIOros
in (491).
Book II., that the reader is often quite lost100
in Similar sound cf. N. eb'a8wev = wrlvwIA.v
the maze of cross-references. (1042).

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22 T. HUDSON WILLIAMS

KrrptSo9 Iceto-OJe0ea: 21. Kt;rrp,,

AXd,7rov':. 24.. Odq 'n7apeXE-Oe6
ing 8. acov--f' yoaro: 26. Xyo-rv-p
Xa3wv, apst,(reL-jo7-po'vov : 28
30. Or7KaTo-7ratfoa9: gap to be
31. KVrrptSo9-eflcv: 32. 7yXv
6votua: 35. ovvo/ta-ei/J ": gap
36. 6Trov-0-78~ VTr : 37. OcTWo 10
Here, in a chance collection of 38
broken only in 5 places. We shoul
collection of 370 poems connected
gaps: in the Theognidea, even if w
Fritzsche, we have 112 gaps, so
arrangement was ever applied to o
A slip on the part of Welcker is
can play in a case of this kind. In
infrequently (haud raro) poems h
to similarity of wording alone, an
couplets 1223, 4: 1225, 6: 1227,
catchwords. But these three poem
scripts. 1223, 4, 1225, 6 are fou
first inserted among the Theogni
first put in by Grotius and not b
p. 171).
T. HUDSON WILLIAMS.

POSTSCRIPT.

After accepting the above article, the Editors of the Journal have asked m
short note with reference to Mr. E. Harrison's recently published Studies in T
My article had already been written and sent in before I saw Mr. Harrison's bo
ing it through, I discovered that we hold divergent views on the fundamenta
on which my whole argument rests; but owing to want of space I cannot h
my own views at greater length or discuss in detail any of the considerations
Mr. Harrison. I must content myself with a mere enumeration of the main
which we differ. In the first part of my article I have stated my conviction th
occurrence of a poem in the Theognidea was not enough to justify us in ascribing
to Theognis. In proof I pointed to the presence, in the collection, of poems kn

has the following note: 'et hos sex uersus

~;1 Cf. Nietzsche y zcor = y'uy u (1172).
102 Cf. N. pdpyov = hpy, (584). (1221-6) ex loan. Stobaei Apophtheg. adleci-
'o3 It will be observed that in fillingmus
up :the
quos ad hoc Theognidis poema referendo
gaps I have in each case used a poem esse, uel Cyrni nomen satis arguit. Tenebunt
that has
already occurred in the collection, inautem
no case
postremum hunc locum, donec dexteriore
have I had to adopt Fritzsche's practice of numine, suo tandem restituti fuerint
aliquanto
taking poems that occur later. 10o Cambridge University Press, 1902.
104 In his edition of Theognis (1543) Vinet

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 THEOGNIS AND HIS POEMS. 23

been composed by other poets, and suggested th

would reveal the real Theognis : this I found in
At the beginning of II, I declared our Theognis
Plato and Isocrates, emphatically rejected the c
to the repetitions as ' rival versions' of the sa
On the merits of the catchword theory we are i
adopted the same method of testing it. Mr. Harr
preferred to take those of Nietzsche, as they aff
repetitions at the saime time. We both regar
differ by half a century on the question of d
especially on matters of textual criticism, a w
German and Dutch scholars, and is undoubtedly
of Theognis; but on the main question the auth
untenable, and he has failed to justify the extr
description of the book is contained in the firs
make bold to maintain that Theognis wrote all
under his name.' At the beginning of my arti
Theognidea of poems from Tyrtaeus, Mimnermu
is entitled ( The Methods of Modern Criticism,'
these poems. The author believes that Theogn
Theognis merely appropriates the lines of other
he incorporates them in his own work; somet
putting them in a new context; sometimes he
this explanation is correct, we are still by no m
confronted with a new difficulty which Mr. Ha
very small portion of early elegiac Greek poetry
these remnants are, they still include nine pi
therefore justified in assuming that the recover
and their contemporaries would lead to the de
' borrowed' poems in the book of Theognis ? A
those which he could justly call his own? We sh
test and the internal evidence of the poems them

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF NORTII WALES, BANGO

December 12, 1902.

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