After Callimachus, Aetia, 48
A stranger with money
may buy a place
in most any Greek city.
Arriving in youth,
and blessed in face
and figure, you’ll find
your way most anywhere.
The fair are fair and giving,
to those among them
who resemble the statues
that line the temple lane.
If you are poor,
not favored by gods
as a counterfeit
Apollo or Aphrodite,
expect no welcome.
Breadcrumbs and scraps,
the slave’s portion,
a life of fleas and lice
among the most hideous
outcasts shall be yours.
One hope there is.
Set sail for Athens, friend.
Accept no other passage.
Blessed by the daughter of Zeus
and the kindly Eumenides,
this is the only town
whose heart knows pity.
