Nicolas Mavrocordatos, during his imprisonment in Transylvania (1716–1718), wrote a poem in which he implores his father Alexander Exaporriton to intercede on his behalf with God Almighty, in his wish to be released from jail. The poem, which depicts Nicolas’ deep depression, is composed after the manner of Pindar, adopting that poet’s vocabulary, lyrical expression and sentence structure. Following Boileau’s example, he sets his poem within the frame of the Quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns. Nicolas’ ode has remained unpublished for three centuries.