{"id":9868,"date":"2020-11-01T18:49:42","date_gmt":"2020-11-01T18:49:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cassandravoices.com\/?p=9868"},"modified":"2020-11-01T18:49:42","modified_gmt":"2020-11-01T18:49:42","slug":"finding-alexandria-a-creative-journey-through-plutarch-cavafy-leonard-cohen-and-laura-marling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/casswp.eutonom.eu\/index.php\/2020\/11\/01\/finding-alexandria-a-creative-journey-through-plutarch-cavafy-leonard-cohen-and-laura-marling\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding Alexandr(i)a: : a Creative Journey through Plutarch, Cavafy, Leonard Cohen and Laura Marling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Around the beginning of the second century AD, the Greek writer Plutarch unknowingly created the spark for a flame of artistic inspiration which, not unlike the notion of the ancient Olympic torch, has transcended millennia until today. He might, perhaps, have nourished the expectation that his work\u2019s renown would outlive him, but he could not have imagined that his words would be traced through the 20th<\/sup> century poetry of Cavafy to the 21st<\/sup> century songs of Leonard Cohen and Laura Marling.<\/span> And yet, in a single stunning example of ancient influence and contemporary Classics, one particular story of his has been read, performed, spoken, sung, enjoyed, downloaded, streamed and reflected on in a chain of inspiration which spans over a century of creativity. The remarkable longevity of one small digression in the mass of Plutarch\u2019s extant work demonstrates beautifully the basic humanity which has connected us from antiquity to now, reflected and refracted through the lens of varying personal and societal perspectives. As a result, the historic loss of Alexandria has become, paradoxically, our cultural gain.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Mark Antony Offering a Sacrifice.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The spark in question is embedded in Plutarch\u2019s account of the downfall of Mark Antony, Roman general and lover of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, at the hands of the future Emperor Augustus. Antony\u2019s defeat at the Battle of Actium in 31BC was already distant history in Plutarch\u2019s time, but its seismic influence on the governance of Rome \u2013 replacing the failing Republic with the dictator-led regime of the Empire \u2013 would have been ubiquitously understood. Plutarch, however, was not in the business of writing purely historical accounts: his Lives<\/em>, under which Mark Antony\u2019s destiny is recorded, are self-proclaimed biographical character studies rather than dispassionate factual recordings; as such, curious digressions and titbits of hearsay weave their way through his narratives. One such side-story is related in the description of Mark Antony\u2019s final night in Alexandria before his monumental defeat at Actium:<\/p>\n

\u1f10\u03bd \u03c4\u03b1\u03cd\u03c4\u1fc3 \u03c4\u1fc7 \u03bd\u03c5\u03ba\u03c4\u1f76 \u03bb\u03ad\u03b3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9, \u03bc\u03b5\u03c3\u03bf\u03cd\u03c3\u03b7\u03c2 \u03c3\u03c7\u03b5\u03b4\u03cc\u03bd, \u1f10\u03bd \u1f21\u03c3\u03c5\u03c7\u03af\u1fb3 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b7\u03c6\u03b5\u03af\u1fb3 \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03c0\u03cc\u03bb\u03b5\u03c9\u03c2 \u03b4\u03b9\u1f70 \u03c6\u03cc\u03b2\u03bf\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c0\u03c1\u03bf\u03c3\u03b4\u03bf\u03ba\u03af\u03b1\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03bc\u03ad\u03bb\u03bb\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2 \u03bf\u1f54\u03c3\u03b7\u03c2, \u03b1\u1f30\u03c6\u03bd\u03af\u03b4\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd \u1f40\u03c1\u03b3\u03ac\u03bd\u03c9\u03bd \u03c4\u03b5 \u03c0\u03b1\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u03b4\u03b1\u03c0\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f10\u03bc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bb\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b9\u03bd\u03b1\u03c2 \u03c6\u03c9\u03bd\u1f70\u03c2 \u1f00\u03ba\u03bf\u03c5\u03c3\u03b8\u1fc6\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03b2\u03bf\u1f74\u03bd \u1f44\u03c7\u03bb\u03bf\u03c5 \u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u1f70 \u03b5\u1f50\u03b1\u03c3\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c0\u03b7\u03b4\u03ae\u03c3\u03b5\u03c9\u03bd \u03c3\u03b1\u03c4\u03c5\u03c1\u03b9\u03ba\u1ff6\u03bd, \u1f65\u03c3\u03c0\u03b5\u03c1 \u03b8\u03b9\u03ac\u03c3\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c4\u03b9\u03bd\u1f78\u03c2 \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u1f00\u03b8\u03bf\u03c1\u03cd\u03b2\u03c9\u03c2 \u1f10\u03be\u03b5\u03bb\u03b1\u03cd\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2: \u03b5\u1f36\u03bd\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b4\u1f72 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u1f41\u03c1\u03bc\u1f74\u03bd \u1f41\u03bc\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03c4\u03b9 \u03b4\u03b9\u1f70 \u03c4\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03c0\u03cc\u03bb\u03b5\u03c9\u03c2 \u03bc\u03ad\u03c3\u03b7\u03c2 \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u03c0\u03cd\u03bb\u03b7\u03bd \u1f14\u03be\u03c9 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u03c4\u03b5\u03c4\u03c1\u03b1\u03bc\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03b7\u03bd \u03c0\u03c1\u1f78\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b5\u03bc\u03af\u03bf\u03c5\u03c2, \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c4\u03b1\u03cd\u03c4\u1fc3 \u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03b8\u03cc\u03c1\u03c5\u03b2\u03bf\u03bd \u1f10\u03ba\u03c0\u03b5\u03c3\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd \u03c0\u03bb\u03b5\u1fd6\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03b3\u03b5\u03bd\u03cc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03bd. \u1f10\u03b4\u03cc\u03ba\u03b5\u03b9 \u03b4\u1f72 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b1\u03bb\u03bf\u03b3\u03b9\u03b6\u03bf\u03bc\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f78 \u03c3\u03b7\u03bc\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bf\u03bd \u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03b5\u03af\u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03bd \u1f41 \u03b8\u03b5\u1f78\u03c2 \u1f08\u03bd\u03c4\u03ce\u03bd\u03b9\u03bf\u03bd, \u1fa7 \u03bc\u03ac\u03bb\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b5\u03be\u03bf\u03bc\u03bf\u03b9\u1ff6\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03bf\u03b9\u03ba\u03b5\u03b9\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f11\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03b4\u03b9\u03b5\u03c4\u03ad\u03bb\u03b5\u03c3\u03b5\u03bd. (Plutarch Life of Antony, <\/em>75.3-4)<\/p>\n

And it is said that during the middle of that night, as the city lay subdued and downcast from fear and expectation of what was to come, the harmonious sounds of all manner of instruments could suddenly be heard, along with the sound of a crowd of Dionysian revellers and satyr-like carousers, as if some Bacchic band was processing out of the city in a raucous fashion: their collective course seemed to take them through the middle of the city to the outer gate facing the enemy; at this point the noise, which had reached its peak, fell away. It seemed to those who analysed this sign that the god to whom Antony continually sought to compare and attach himself was leaving him.<\/em><\/p>\n

This folktale-like aside could be dismissed simply as adding little more than narrative colour to the portrayal of Antony\u2019s demise. And yet, this physical representation of Antony\u2019s personal loss also serves as a powerful reminder of the inevitability and ineluctability of a foregone fate. The god, representing the general\u2019s aspirations and inspirations, deserts him in a flutter of fictitious revelry; the irony of the joy in the Bacchic procession and its solemn symbolism is all too present. The nuance of Plutarch\u2019s story, it seems, lies in the act of reconciling with an unavoidable destiny; it is theme which fans the flame of inspiration in modern artistic endeavours.<\/p>\n

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Constantine Peter Cavafy 1863-1933.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The primary reinterpretation of Plutarch\u2019s curious digression appears in Constantine Cavafy\u2019s 1911 poem The God Abandons Antony<\/em>. Cavafy\u2019s frequent evocations of influential figures and events from antiquity in his poetry often serve as a mechanism for exploring wider, more universal moral and psychological themes \u2013 as is expertly demonstrated in another of his poems, Ithaka<\/em> \u2013 and in this poem, too, the past is blended eloquently with the present. Where Plutarch\u2019s biographical purpose constrained him from offering explicit comment on the story he presents, Cavafy\u2019s poetry freely re-interprets the situation in the form of a didactic monologue:<\/p>\n

When suddenly, at midnight, you hear<\/em>
\nan invisible procession going by<\/em>
\nwith exquisite music, voices,<\/em>
\ndon\u2019t mourn your luck that\u2019s failing now,<\/em>
\nwork gone wrong, your plans<\/em>
\nall proving deceptive\u2014don\u2019t mourn them uselessly.<\/em>
\nAs one long prepared, and graced with courage,<\/em>
\nsay goodbye to her, the Alexandria that is leaving.<\/em>
\nAbove all, don\u2019t fool yourself, don\u2019t say<\/em>
\nit was a dream, your ears deceived you:<\/em>
\ndon\u2019t degrade yourself with empty hopes like these.<\/em>
\nAs one long prepared, and graced with courage,<\/em>
\nas is right for you who proved worthy of this kind of city,<\/em>
\ngo firmly to the window<\/em>
\nand listen with deep emotion, but not<\/em>
\nwith the whining, the pleas of a coward;<\/em>
\nlisten\u2014your final delectation\u2014to the voices,<\/em>
\nto the exquisite music of that strange procession,<\/em>
\nand say goodbye to her, to the Alexandria you are losing.<\/em>
\n(trans<\/em>. Edmund Keeley & Philip Sherrard.)<\/p>\n

Knowledge of the poem\u2019s classical context clearly identifies the addressee of this moral admonition as being Mark Antony, but the poem can be read from two perspectives: one as a dramatised portrayal of a piece of historical biography, and the other, divorced from its ancient inspiration, as an edification of endurance, that most human of experiences. The former poignantly captures the mood of despair, realisation and tragic inevitability in Plutarch\u2019s original story, set against the background of Antony\u2019s approaching demise. The encouragement of stoicism and acknowledgement in the face of defeat chimes particularly with Plutarch\u2019s own presentation of Antony on the eve of the battle: in the first part of the chapter narrating the rumoured Dionysian revelries, the biographer describes how Antony, having decided to mobilise his attack on Octavian the following day, orders a lavish feast on the premise that he did not know whether he would ever be able to do so again. In the second, universalised interpretation of this poem, we are encouraged to view the \u2018invisible procession\u2019 as a metaphor for realising and confronting our destinies. In turn, the desired stoicism in recognising that our futures are uncertain and never fully under our control is as pertinent now as it was to Antony. Cavafy, in a style similar to psychologists and cognitive behavioural therapists today, encourages us to replace the \u2018what ifs\u2019 with the \u2018now whats\u2019 when coming to terms with complications in our lives; in his reinvigoration of Plutarch\u2019s words, therefore, the poet expertly blends specific story and general advice, ancient context with modern relevance.<\/p>\n

Almost a century later, the next reincarnation of Antony\u2019s loss was brought to life by another poetic genius in the form of Leonard Cohen\u2019s song Alexandra Leaving<\/em>. Mirroring Cavafy\u2019s simultaneously faithful and creative relationship with his ancient model, Leonard\u2019s lyrics are at once recognisable to those familiar with his poetic source, and yet strikingly innovative in their new shape.<\/p>\n

Suddenly the night has grown colder<\/em>
\nThe god of love preparing to depart<\/em>
\nAlexandra hoisted on his shoulder<\/em>
\nThey slip between the sentries of the heart<\/em><\/p>\n

Upheld by the simplicities of pleasure<\/em>
\nThey gain the light, they formlessly entwine<\/em>
\nAnd radiant beyond your widest measure<\/em>
\nThey fall among the voices and the wine<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s not a trick, your senses all deceiving<\/em>
\nA fitful dream, the morning will exhaust<\/em>
\nSay goodbye to Alexandra leaving<\/em>
\nThen say goodbye to Alexandra lost<\/em><\/p>\n

Even though she sleeps upon your satin<\/em>
\nEven though she wakes you with a kiss<\/em>
\nDo not say the moment was imagined<\/em>
\nDo not stoop to strategies like this<\/em><\/p>\n

As someone long prepared for this to happen<\/em>
\nGo firmly to the window. Drink it in<\/em>
\nExquisite music. Alexandra laughing<\/em>
\nYour first commitments tangible again<\/em><\/p>\n

And you who had the honor of her evening<\/em>
\nAnd by that honor had your own restored<\/em>
\nSay goodbye to Alexandra leaving<\/em>
\nAlexandra leaving with her lord<\/em><\/p>\n

Even though she sleeps upon your satin<\/em>
\nEven though she wakes you with a kiss<\/em>
\nDo not say the moment was imagined<\/em>
\nDo not stoop to strategies like this<\/em><\/p>\n

As someone long prepared for the occasion<\/em>
\nIn full command of every plan you wrecked<\/em>
\nDo not choose a coward’s explanation<\/em>
\nThat hides behind the cause and the effect<\/em><\/p>\n

And you who were bewildered by a meaning<\/em>
\nWhose code was broken, crucifix uncrossed<\/em>
\nSay goodbye to Alexandra leaving<\/em>
\nThen say goodbye to Alexandra lost<\/em><\/p>\n

Say goodbye to Alexandra leaving<\/em>
\nThen say goodbye to Alexandra lost<\/em><\/p>\n