Constantine Cavafy (29 April 1863 – 29 April 1933) was one of the most important Greek poets of modern times. He was born in Alexandria, Egypt, to a Greek family originally from Constantinople. His parents had left Constantinople in 1840, and Constantine was the youngest of their nine children. His father was a prosperous cotton merchant, while his mother belonged to an old aristocratic family of Constantinople. The commercial success of his father and the noble background of his mother helped shape his character and outlook.
His father died in 1870, when Constantine was seven years old. As the family business gradually declined, the family moved to England, living in Liverpool and London until 1876. They then returned to Alexandria, where Cavafy was educated by private tutors and later attended the Greek Educational Institute of Alexandria for two years. Between 1882 and 1885 he lived in Constantinople, while later he travelled to Paris and Athens. Apart from these periods abroad, he spent most of his life in Alexandria.
After working in various commercial offices, Cavafy joined the Egyptian Ministry of Public Works, where he remained employed for many years. In 1932 he was diagnosed with throat cancer and travelled to Athens for treatment, receiving the admiration and support of many admirers of his work. He later returned to Alexandria, where his condition worsened. He died on 29 April 1933, his seventieth birthday, at the hospital of the Greek Community of Alexandria.
Cavafy began publishing poetry in 1886. His poems are generally divided into three categories: historical, philosophical, and sensual. His recognized body of work consists of 154 poems that he himself selected for publication. In addition, scholars have identified a number of early poems that he later rejected, as well as unfinished works and unpublished drafts found among his papers.
A meticulous craftsman, Cavafy often spent years refining a single poem before allowing it to circulate. The first complete edition of his 154 recognized poems was published in Athens in 1935 and quickly sold out. Today, his poetry is widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements of modern Greek literature. Through translations into French, English, German, and many other languages, his work has gained an enduring place in world literature.
A biographical note written by Cavafy:
"I am from Constantinople by descent, but I was born in Alexandria—at a house on Seriph Street. I left very young and spent much of my childhood in England. Subsequently I visited that country as an adult, but only for a short period. I have also lived in France. During my adolescence I lived for more than two years in Constantinople. It has been many years since I last visited Greece. My last employment was as a clerk at a government office under the Ministry of Public Works of Egypt. I know English, French, and a little Italian."
