Apollonios was speaking about
proper education and upbringing
with a young man building a luxury house in Rhodes.
“When I enter a temple,”
said the Tyanian in conclusion, “even if it is a small one,
I would much rather see
a gold and ivory statue there
than find in a large temple a statue of common clay.”
“Of common clay”: how disgusting—
yet some (who haven’t been adequately trained)
are taken in by what’s bogus. Those of common clay.
Reprinted from C. P. CAVAFY: Collected Poems Revised Edition, translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard, edited by George Savvidis. Translation copyright © 1975, 1992 by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard. Princeton University Press. For reuse of these translations, please contact Princeton University Press.
The Canon