I was overcome with a need to reread this collection and what a joy it has been! I have loved Cavafy's historical poems since I first read them a decade ago - the way he is drawn to the footnotes of history, the losers, and explores those moments just before the fall absolutely fascinates me. There's such a sense of knowing theatricality, we are all actors upon the stage of history, performing our parts until the curtain falls. I'm also fascinated by the role the city of Alexandria has in these, such a presence in itself! This time around, I also appreciated his erotic poems more - the fleeting nature of them, their intensity and brevity. Have truly really enjoyed revisiting and this remains an absolute fave!