Solon 13.25-56

 Solon 13.25-56

25-36: Such is the vengeance of Zeus. He never forgets who has a sinner's heart, and in the end they are revealed, some sooner, some later. Even for those who escape, it still comes: the blameless pay it back, their children or further generation. We mortals, good and bad alike, think that each person's reputation goes well until they suffer. And then they mourn; until then, they rejoice slack-jawed in empty hopes.

37-42: Those who are sick are convinced they will be healthy. The cowardly and ugly think they are brave and beautiful. The poor man, oppressed by poverty's works, thinks surely he will acquire wealth. 

43-56: Everyone hurries everywhere. One wanders on the sea, tossed by harsh winds, eager for profit, careless of their soul. Another is a servant on the land for a year. Another assembles a living learned in the works of Athena and Hephaestus. Another [assembles a living] taught gifts from the Muses, understanding the measure of wisdom. Another Apollo made a seer, and knows the unavoidable good and evil for each. 

  • Difficult to follow the line of thought here; broadly the persona criticizes people's lifestyles, but the basis of criticism changes from baseless optimism, to more general criticism of pursuit of profit, to no criticism at all? just lists of professions like bards and seers?
  • The Greek is also not trivial. The generalizing force of the poem leads to lots of gnomic aorists and generalizing relative clauses.
  • Even more than Semonides 1), this poem reminds me a lot of Horace's Satires 1.1. There too we have a persona criticizing lifestyles and working though a list of professions.
  • Semonides 1 and this poem both preserved by Stobaeus; I think Stobaeus / the Stobaean tradition likes this kind of general moralizing poetry that's kinda down on most people.
  • The vengeance (tisis) of Zeus is kinda an interesting idea -- Zeus punishes injustice. Feels like it's pointing forward toward tragedy rather than to epic or even Heisodic wisdom poetry, where it's not clear that the gods a) care about justice (yes dike from zeus in Hesiod) and b) proactively take steps to ensure justice in the world.

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