"The God Abandons Antony" ( gr, Ἀπολείπειν ὁ θεὸς Ἀντώνιον) can also be translated as "The God Forsakes Antony" is a poem by

Constantine P. Cavafy Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Πέτρου Καβάφης ; April 29 (April 17, OS), 1863 – April 29, 1933), known, especially in English, as Constantine P. Cavafy and often published as C. P. Cavafy (), was a Gree ...

, published in 1911.

Story

The God Abandons Antony refers to

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for hi ...

's story of how Antony was besieged in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

Octavian Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

. On the eve of Octavian's attack, suddenly in the middle of the night there were sounds of instruments and voices of a procession making its way through the city, stopped only at the gates of the city. This noise came as a sign that Anthony's patron and protector: the god

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; grc, wikt:Διόνυσος, Διόνυσος ) is the god of the grape-harvest, winemaking, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstas ...

(Bacchus), was deserting him. The poem's title itself is a verbatim quotation from Plutarch's text.

Excerpt

Techniques

The God Abandons Anthony falls under the umbrella of philosophical poems in Cavafy's anthology. Cavafy takes the historical elements of ancient history and blends it with his touch of poetry to usually teach or warn the readers. The poem is divided into two parts: the first introduces the theme of defeat and the inevitable end that humans face; the second part of this poem develops on the idea of acceptance, without fear or pleading for one's life.

Philosophical & Didactic Character

* Uses second person singular - makes it more intimate with the reader * The poet creates an atmosphere of where he warns his readers of what to do and what not to do in life * ''Cavafy'' addresses how the hero has to maintain his dignity with courage until the end even though he's losing everything

Symbols

Anthony: He is the protagonist or more commonly associated with being the tragic hero in this poem. He is the symbol of a successful as well as ambitious person who lived a very distinguishied and enviable life. However, this life that the protagonist lives suddenly falls on the brink of destruction and death. Alexandria: This city is used in several of Cavafy's poem because it not only was his home but also a symbol of desire and success. In this poem, it can be characterised as the affluent and wealthy life, with its spiritual as well as material pleasures. Dionysus (Bacchus): The god of wine and pleasure, symbolises the fortune that suddenly disappears from ''Anthony (''

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...

) which leads to his inevitable downfall. Exquisite sounds: The triumphant noises heard throughout the city are a sign of the beautiful moments, the successes of life that are commerorated at the end of someone's life. The ''

tragic hero A tragic hero is the protagonist of a tragedy. In his ''Poetics'', Aristotle records the descriptions of the tragic hero to the playwright and strictly defines the place that the tragic hero must play and the kind of man he must be. Aristotle ba ...

'' recalls the last victories of his life that he will be losing forever. Midnight: The poem is set during the dead of night which is seen as peculiar for the ending of one's life as they are completely unprepared to accept or face their fate. The invisible troupe: This is the symbol of an ominous message, the bad omen of the unavoidable end. It connects the poem with the story handed down to us by ''Plutarch''. The troupe or ensemble symbolises the loss of happiness and excitement as it marks the end of the hero's life.

Quotes

This poem is a constant reminder of warnings and exhortations in one's life and downfall. This is what Cavafy wants to convey to his readers.

Deciphering Quotes

* "Do not mourn in vain" - The poet informs his readers to accept their fate with

stoicism Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BCE. It is a philosophy of personal virtue ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world, asserting tha ...

and have self-control, to not weep before the end. * "Farewell to her, the Alexandria that you're leaving" - There has to be acceptance of the reality at hand. One has to consider the evil done and show perserverance as well as endurance. * "Don't laugh, don't say it was a dream... don't accept such vain hopes" - Don't feed into

falsehood Deception or falsehood is an act or statement that misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda and sleight o ...

s, one has to accept the harsh reality of life. * "Not with the pleadings and complaints of cowards" - You have to face your reality with courage, wihtout stooping low and adopting behaviour which humiliates and exposes you. * "He approached steadily to the window and listened withe emotion, as a last pleasure" - Accept the end and reminisce about the good times. The legacy and successes are being left behind by the one who's life is ending.

Adaptations

Leonard Cohen Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934November 7, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter, poet and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, depression, sexuality, loss, death, and romantic relationships. He was inducted in ...

and Sharon Robinson freely adapted this poem for their song "Alexandra Leaving" ('' Ten New Songs'', 2001). Whereas Cavafy's theme was based around the city of

, Cohen's version builds around a woman named Alexandra.

References

External links

Poem in Greek
and Englis
translation thereof
(by

Edmund Keeley Edmund Leroy "Mike" Keeley (February 5, 1928 – February 23, 2022) was an American novelist, translator, and essayist, a poet, and Charles Barnwell Straut Professor of English at Princeton University. He was a noted expert on the Greek poets C ...

and Philip Sherrard) at the Official Site of the Cavafy Archive 1911 poems Dionysus Ancient Alexandria in art and culture Fiction set in the 1st century BC Historical poems Poems by Constantine P. Cavafy {{1910s-poem-stub