1780 - A teacher of our Nation

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Athena Kehagias

When our nation didn’t exist anymore,
Theophilus decided to extinguish his candle
so that he would lit others.
He passed through Smyrna and the Academy of Cydoniae
before he tied up his fate with the island of Andros.
When there was neither faith nor a homeland,
Theophilus taught quantitative algebra
to the children of the future,
our orphans
our ancestors.