The Anathemata
Middle-sea and Lear-sea (continued)
And now his celestial influence gains:
across the atmosphere
on the water-sphere
and the wide sinusa changes humour and the sea-hues
suffer change
from Peloponnese Cenchréaeb
to the homing Attic deck-boy’s
own Phaléron.c
And suddenly:
the build of us
patterns dark the blueing waters
David Jones notes
additional notes
a The Saronic Gulf.
b In ancient times, Kenchreai (Greek Κεγχρεαί) was one of the two ports of the inland city-state of Corinth. It is located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) southeast of Corinth. While Kenchreai served the eastern trade routes via the Saronic Gulf, Lechaion on the Corinthian Gulf served the trade routes leading west to Italy and the rest of Europe. Situated on the eastern side of the Isthmus of Corinth, Kenchreai sat at a natural crossroads for ships arriving from the east and overland traffic heading north and south between central Greece and the Peloponnese.
c Phaleron (Ancient Greek: Φάληρον) was the port of Archaic Athens until about 480 BCE, when the port was moved to Piraeus. It was situated 5 km southwest of the Acropolis of Athens, on a bay of the Saronic Gulf.
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The sun is climbing to its meridian and the mist is lifting. The ship’s shadow can be seen on the water.