Analysis of In 200 B.C.

Constantine P. Cavafy 1863 (Alexandria) – 1933 (Alexandria)



"Alexander son of Philip, and the Greeks except the Lacedaemonians--"

We can very well imagine
that they were utterly indifferent in Sparta
to this inscription. "Except the Lacedaemonians",
but naturally. The Spartans were not
to be led and ordered about
as precious servants. Besides
a panhellenic campaign without
a Spartan king as a leader
would not have appeared very important.
O, of course "except the Lacedaemonians."

This too is a stand. Understandable.

Thus, except the Lacedaemonians at Granicus;
and then at Issus; and in the final
battle, where the formidable army was swept away
that the Persians had massed at Arbela:
which had set out from Arbela for victory, and was swept away.

And out of the remarkable panhellenic campaign,
victorious, brilliant,
celebrated, glorious
as no other had ever been glorified,
the incomparable: we emerged;
a great new Greek world.

We; the Alexandrians, the Antiocheans,
the Seleucians, and the numerous
rest of the Greeks of Egypt and Syria,
and of Media, and Persia, and the many others.
With our extensive territories,
with the varied action of thoughtful adaptations.
And the Common Greek Language
we carried to the heart of Bactria, to the Indians.

As if we were to talk of Lacedaemonians now!


Scheme A XBAXCACXDA E AEFEF XDAXXX AABAAAXA X
Poetic Form
Metre 01011100010101 11101010 110100010010 110100101 110000101 11101001 1101001 010101 01011010 1110110010 1110101 111010100 1010111 011100010 10101000101101 10101111 111111110001101 01100100101 010010 100100 1110110110 001000101 01111 10101 0100100 11011100100 01100010001010 110010100 101010110010 0010110 1101011110100 111011111
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,222
Words 205
Sentences 14
Stanzas 7
Stanza Lengths 1, 10, 1, 5, 6, 8, 1
Lines Amount 32
Letters per line (avg) 31
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 143
Words per stanza (avg) 29
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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:01 min read
61

Constantine P. Cavafy

Constantine P. Cavafy was a Greek poet who lived in Alexandria and worked as a journalist and civil servant. He published 154 poems; dozens more remained incomplete or in sketch form. His most important poetry was written after his fortieth birthday. more…

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