Theognis (thēŏgˈnĭs) [key], fl. 6th cent. B.C., Greek didactic poet of Megara. An aristocrat with fierce partisan feelings, he wrote for his young friend Cyrnus a series of elegies, often passionate in hate and in love, counseling moderation, faithfulness, and duty. Among the 1,400 surviving lines attributed to him are some known to be by other writers.
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