The God Abandons Antony

"The God Abandons Antony" (Greek: Ἀπολείπειν ὁ θεὸς Ἀντώνιον; also translated as "The God Forsakes Antony") is a poem by Constantine P. Cavafy, published in 1911. The poem refers to Plutarch's story of how Antony, besieged in Alexandria by Octavian, heard the sounds of instruments and voices of a procession making its way through the city, then passing out; the god Bacchus (Dionysus), Antony's protector, was deserting him;[1][2] the poem's title itself is a verbatim quotation from Plutarch's text.[1]

Adaptations

Leonard Cohen freely adapted the poem for his song "Alexandra Leaving" (Ten New Songs, 2001).[3] Whereas Cavafy's theme was based around the city of Alexandria, Cohen's version builds around a woman named Alexandra.

References
  1. Plutarch (1920). "Antony 75.3–4". Plutarch's Lives. Vol. 9. Translated by Perrin, Bernadotte. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
  2. "Antony 75.3–4". Plutarch's Lives (in Greek) – via Perseus Project.
  3. "The god abandons Antony". Leonard Cohen: The Leonard Cohen Files.


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