Author: Constantine P Cavafy

Said Myrtias (a Syrian student In Alexandria; in the reign of Augustus Constans and Augustus Constantius; In part a pagan, […]

In the prologue to her Alexiad, Anna Comnena laments her widowhood. Her soul is dizzy. “And with rivers Of tears,” […]

Because gods perceive future things, men what is happening now, but wise men perceive approaching things. Philostratus, Life of Apollonius […]

Just because we’ve torn their statues down, And cast them from their temples, Doesn’t for a moment mean the gods […]

Half past twelve. Time has gone by quickly Since nine o’clock when I lit the lamp And sat down here. […]

Our efforts are those of the unfortunate; Our efforts are like those of the Trojans. Somewhat we succeed; somewhat We […]

One dreary September day Emperor Manuel Komninos Felt his death was near. The court astrologers – bribed, of course – […]

He’s an old man. Used up and bent, Crippled by time and indulgence, He slowly walks along the narrow street. […]

Every so often he vows to start a better life. But when night comes with her own counsels, With her […]

In these darkened rooms, where I spend Oppresive days, I pace to and fro To find the windows. When a […]

Body, remember not only how much you were loved, Not only the beds on which you lay, But also those […]

Valiant are you who fought and fell gloriously; Fearless of those who were everywhere victorious. Blameless, even if Diaeos and […]

“What distillate can be discovered from herbs Of a witching brew,” said an aesthete, “what distillate prepared according To the […]

At the back of the noisy café Bent over a table sits an old man; A newspaper in front of […]

Like beautiful bodies of the dead who had not grown old And they shut them, with tears, in a magnificent […]

You said: “I’ll go to another country, go to another shore, Find another city better than this one. Whatever I […]

My work, I’m very careful about it, and I love it. But today I’m discouraged by how slowly it’s going. […]

Even if you cannot shape your life as you want it, At least try this As much as you can; […]

He finished the painting yesterday noon. Now He studies it in detail. He has painted him in a Gray unbuttoned […]

From all I’ve done and all I’ve said Let them not seek to find who I’ve been. An obstacle stood […]

Without consideration, without pity, without shame They have built great and high walls around me. And now I sit here […]

Apollonius was talking about Proper education and conduct with a young Man who was building a luxurious House in Rhodes. […]

As you set out for Ithaka Hope your road is a long one, Full of adventure, full of discovery. Laistrygonians, […]

A young man, twenty eight years old, on a vessel from Tenos, Emes arrived at this Syrian harbor With the […]

We interrupt the work of the gods, Hasty and inexperienced beings of the moment. In the palaces of Eleusis and […]

They had not seen, for ages, such beautiful gifts in Delphi As these that had been sent by the two […]

I never found them again the things so quickly lost…. The poetic eyes, the pale Face…. in the dusk of […]

What are we waiting for, assembled in the forum? The barbarians are due here today. Why isn’t anything happening in […]

“Alexander son of Philip, and the Greeks except the Lacedaemonians “ We can very well imagine That they were utterly […]

Kimos, son of Menedoros, a young Greek-Italian, Devotes his life to amusing himself, Like most young men in Greater Greece […]