King Dimitrios

by Greek poet C P Cavafy

November 2007

[This is a poem about what constitutes true nobility]

Not like a king but an actor he put
on a gray cloak instead of his royal
one and secretly went away.

Plutarch, Life of Dimitrios

When the Macedonians deserted him
and showed they preferred Pyrrhos,
King Dimitrios (a noble soul) didn’t behave
—so they said—
at all like a king.
He took off his golden robes,
threw away his purple buskins,
and quickly dressing himself
in simple clothes, he slipped out—
just like an actor who,
the play over,
changes his costume and goes away.