Anna Dalassena

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• published: 12 Sep 2010
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Cavafy Poems Nos. 129-131 Adapted & Read by Charles Bryant 129. LADY ANNA DALASSENA Alexios Comnenos, imperial lord, issued an imperial decree honouring his imperial Lady Mother the learned Lady Anna Dalassena. Lavishly he praised her, her merciful doings and her holy ways. Lavishly he praised his noble mother the pious learned Lady Anna who never had been covetous, who never said, no man ever heard her say "This or that is mine, and that is thine." No no! He kneels before her shrine, her golden shrine adorned with precious stones. He praises his pure mother who from thrones and empires had always been remote, a humble Christian cross, set with rubies, set with emeralds, at her throat. 130. GREEK FROM ANCIENT TIMES from Argos flying to these friendless waters (from the Iphigenia in Taurus of Euripides, translated by Philip Vellacott) Antiochenes are always boasting about their splendid city, the wonderful buildings and well paved streets, beautiful countryside and numerous populace, the seat of glorious kings. About their artists and famed philosophers and fabulously wealthy merchants... and beautiful boys. And yet you know, above all else they boast of their Grecian heritage. "Greek from ancient times" they say "when Io, daughter of Inarchos, king of Argos, seduced by Zeus in shape of a great bull, came here to friendly Syria to die. Here the Argive colonists built our town." 131. In 1901 What made him so exceptionally rare was that, although entirely dissolute and given to every kind of sexual pleasure - serene amid debauchery however unsavoury with men and women of every age and station - he sometimes gave the impression at fleeting moments (usually moments of the highest passion) of complete imperviousness to the snare of vice. Extremely beautiful still at nine and twenty the majority of his years steeped long in sex from time to time an observer seemed to watch a boy who, gauche and somewhat clumsy, abandoned himself with all the air of an innocent to virginity's welcome first initiation.