Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand
Abstract
The word “empire” denotes something great and strong, old and new and is often
associated with both the past and the present. For historians and theorists, the word
empire may be coupled with power, expansion, imperialism and politics, whereas
for most people it may be associated with stories, fascination and extravagance. For
the Cypriot poet, Kyriakos Charalambides (1940– ), “empire” is a life experience and
makes up both his recent and distant past. This paper aims to give a close reading of
Charalambides’ representations of the Byzantine Empire in his poetic work through
the parallel or identification of the city of Famagusta — the poet’s muse — to the imperial
city of Constantinople. Charalambides’ representation of the Byzantine Empire is
recorded through a conscious turn or journey to the past, a journey filtered through
the events of the coup d’état and the Turkish invasion of 1974
