Phernazis the poet is at work
\non the crucial part of his epic:
\nhow Dareios, son of Hystaspis,
\ntook over the Persian kingdom.
\n(It\u2019s from him, Dareios, that our glorious king,
\nMithridatis, Dionysos and Evpator, descends.)
\nBut this calls for serious thought; Phernazis has to analyze
\nthe feelings Dareios must have had:
\narrogance, maybe, and intoxication? No\u2014more likely
\na certain insight into the vanities of greatness.
\nThe poet thinks deeply about the question.<\/p>\n
But his servant, rushing in, cuts him short
\nto announce very serious news:
\nthe war with the Romans has begun;
\nmost of our army has crossed the borders.
\nThe poet is dumbfounded. What a disaster!
\nHow can our glorious king,
\nMithridatis, Dionysos and Evpator,
\nbother about Greek poems now?
\nIn the middle of a war\u2014just think, Greek poems!
\nPhernazis gets all worked up. What bad luck!
\nJust when he was sure to distinguish himself
\nwith his Dareios, sure to silence
\nhis envious critics once and for all.
\nWhat a setback, terrible setback to his plans.
\nAnd if it\u2019s only a setback, that wouldn\u2019t be too bad.
\nBut can we really consider ourselves safe in Amisos?
\nThe town isn\u2019t very well fortified,
\nand the Romans are the most awful enemies.
\nAre we, Cappadocians, really a match for them?
\nIs it conceivable?
\nAre we now to pit ourselves against the legions?
\nGreat gods, protectors of Asia, help us.
\nBut through all his distress, all the turmoil,
\nthe poetic idea comes and goes insistently:
\narrogance and intoxication\u2014that\u2019s the most likely, of course:
\narrogance and intoxication are what Dareios must have felt.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
C.P. Cavafy<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Translated by Edmund Keeley\/Philip Sherrard<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Image: www.hotflick.net\/flicks\/2004_Alexander\/fhd004ALR_Raz_Degan_005.jpg<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Phernazis the poet is at work on the crucial part of his epic: how Dareios, son of Hystaspis, took over the Persian kingdom. (It\u2019s from him, Dareios, that our glorious king, Mithridatis, Dionysos and Evpator, descends.) But this calls for serious thought; Phernazis has to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[132],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1","rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg",900,609,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg",900,609,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?fit=300%2C203&ssl=1",300,203,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?fit=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"portfolio-square":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=570%2C570&ssl=1",570,570,true],"portfolio-portrait":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=600%2C609&ssl=1",600,609,true],"portfolio-landscape":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1",800,600,true],"menu-featured-post":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=345%2C198&ssl=1",345,198,true],"qode-carousel_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=400%2C260&ssl=1",400,260,true],"portfolio_slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=500%2C380&ssl=1",500,380,true],"portfolio_masonry_regular":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1",500,500,true],"portfolio_masonry_wide":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=900%2C500&ssl=1",900,500,true],"portfolio_masonry_tall":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=500%2C609&ssl=1",500,609,true],"portfolio_masonry_large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=900%2C609&ssl=1",900,609,true],"portfolio_masonry_with_space":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?fit=700%2C474&ssl=1",700,474,true],"latest_post_boxes":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=539%2C303&ssl=1",539,303,true],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1",300,300,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?fit=600%2C406&ssl=1",600,406,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/post-488.jpg?resize=100%2C100&ssl=1",100,100,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.lecturesbureau.gr\/1\/author\/admin\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"Poetry<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Phernazis the poet is at work on the crucial part of his epic: how Dareios, son of Hystaspis, took over the Persian kingdom. (It\u2019s from him, Dareios, that our glorious king, Mithridatis, Dionysos and Evpator, descends.) 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