Ever wish you could talk with someone who understands poetry and the mysteries of love? Someone with a connection to Aphrodite and a great understanding of love. What advice would Sappho give?
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Sappho’s Girlfriends
Dear Sappho,
We know that Sappho was the most famous woman writer of the ancient world and that many of her poems were addressed to women. Who were Sappho’s girlfriends and what did she write to them?
Dear Want, Although ten books of her verse were published by the third and second centuries B.C.E., most of Sappho’s poetry has been lost or destroyed. Today we only have access to four parts of four poems, of which just one is complete. What we do know of her poetry comes from 63 complete single lines and 264 fragments.
Sappho’s poetry was personal, emotional, and focused on women. Her focus and feelings about women may have been more acceptable in the ancient world where women felt more free to express their passions toward one another, sexual or not. The words lesbian, and Sapphic have been used to define or describe homosexual relationships between women ever since.
The names of fourteen of her girlfriends and students are revealed in her fragments. The most celebrated was Erinna of Telos. Three of Sappho's best-known friends and companions were Atthis, Telesippa, and Megara; and her students were Anagora of the territory of Miletus, Gongyla of Colophon, and Euneica of Salamis. Many of her fragments are addressed to Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of love. Below are a few of the lines addressed specifically to Atthis, Gongyla, and Gorgo.
To Atthis
Yes Atthis You may be sure Even in Sardis Anactoria will think often of us
Of the life we shared here When you seemed the Goddess incarnate To her, and your singing Pleased her best
Now among Lydian women she in Her turn stands first as the red Fingered moon rising at sunset takes
Precedence over stars around her; Her light spreads equally On the salt sea and fields thick with bloom
Delicious dew pours down to freshen Roses, delicate thyme And blossoming sweet clover; she wanders
Aimlessly, thinking of gentle Atthis, her heart hanging Heavy with longing in her little breast
She shouts aloud, Come! We know it Thousand-eared night repeats that cry Across the sea shining between us
It was you, Atthis, who said “Sappho, if you will not get up and let us llok at you I shall never love you again”
“Get up, unleash your suppleness Lift off your Chian nightdress And like a Lily leaning into the spring Bathe in the water”
I hear that Andromeda That hayseed in her hayseed finery Has put a torch to your heart
And she without even The art of lifting her Skirt over her ankles
Be Kind to Me
Gongyla I ask only That you wear the cream White dress when you come
Desire darts about your Loveliness, drawn down in Circling flight at sight of it
I am glad, although Once, I too quarreled With Aphrodite
To whom I pray that you will Come soon
Greetings to Gorgo
I salute Madam, The descendent of many great kings A great many times
Dear Want,
ReplyDeleteAlthough ten books of her verse were published by the third and second centuries B.C.E., most of Sappho’s poetry has been lost or destroyed. Today we only have access to four parts of four poems, of which just one is complete. What we do know of her poetry comes from 63 complete single lines and 264 fragments.
Sappho’s poetry was personal, emotional, and focused on women. Her focus and feelings about women may have been more acceptable in the ancient world where women felt more free to express their passions toward one another, sexual or not. The words lesbian, and Sapphic have been used to define or describe homosexual relationships between women ever since.
The names of fourteen of her girlfriends and students are revealed in her fragments. The most celebrated was Erinna of Telos. Three of Sappho's best-known friends and companions were Atthis, Telesippa, and Megara; and her students were Anagora of the territory of Miletus, Gongyla of Colophon, and Euneica of Salamis. Many of her fragments are addressed to Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of love. Below are a few of the lines addressed specifically to Atthis, Gongyla, and Gorgo.
To Atthis
Yes Atthis
You may be sure
Even in Sardis
Anactoria will think often of us
Of the life we shared here
When you seemed the Goddess incarnate
To her, and your singing
Pleased her best
Now among Lydian women she in
Her turn stands first as the red
Fingered moon rising at sunset takes
Precedence over stars around her;
Her light spreads equally
On the salt sea and fields thick with bloom
Delicious dew pours down to freshen
Roses, delicate thyme
And blossoming sweet clover; she wanders
Aimlessly, thinking of gentle
Atthis, her heart hanging
Heavy with longing in her little breast
She shouts aloud, Come! We know it
Thousand-eared night repeats that cry
Across the sea shining between us
It was you, Atthis, who said
“Sappho, if you will not get
up and let us llok at you
I shall never love you again”
“Get up, unleash your suppleness
Lift off your Chian nightdress
And like a Lily leaning into the spring
Bathe in the water”
I hear that Andromeda
That hayseed in her hayseed finery
Has put a torch to your heart
And she without even
The art of lifting her
Skirt over her ankles
Be Kind to Me
Gongyla I ask only
That you wear the cream
White dress when you come
Desire darts about your
Loveliness, drawn down in
Circling flight at sight of it
I am glad, although
Once, I too quarreled
With Aphrodite
To whom
I pray that you will
Come soon
Greetings to Gorgo
I salute Madam,
The descendent of many great kings
A great many times