Sappho: The Tenth Muse

The ancient Greek lyric poet Sappho, was born in Lesbos in the 7th century BC. Here we shed some light on her period as one of the greatest lyric poets. Although information about her life is limited, it is known that she was born into an aristocratic family, and she had three brothers mentioned in her poems. As far as we know from her own poems, she has a daughter named Kleis. There is no information about the education she received regarding her poetry, which would cause Plato to be called the tenth Muse. Unlike Athens, the Aeolian cultural region’s perspective towards women is positive. Women could participate in competitions with men in the arts and other fields. They were also considered to have as many privileges as men.

Sappho

Sappho also gained a reputation as a teacher, with the school she opened for unmarried young girls. It is believed that in this school (called Thiasos), students were given training and celebrations in search of dances, songs, wine, grace and beauty.(How Would You Die If You Were A Greek Hero

The famous poet wrote poems with four lines (Sapphic stanza) and it is assumed that the total number of her quatrains from her poems is 182. Her poems are still mentioned today with the candidness in her style and the realities she displays without being bound to anything.(Where is your Star of Bethlehem?)

There are rumours that she was homosexual, with the spiritual and bodily descriptions she uses in her poems written in Aeolian dialect and the quatrains in which the names of the girls (Attis, Anaktoria …) in the school she founded . In addition, the poet, known for her admiration for Aphrodite, attracted attention with the metaphors in her poems to Aphrodite. This admiration made her the target of various criticisms of Sappho’s sexual preference by some people.

(1)

Immortal Aphrodite, on your intricately brocaded throne,

child of Zeus, weaver of wiles, this I pray:

Dear Lady, don’t crush my heart

with pains and sorrows.

Sappho left Lesbos and settled in Sicily, and continued her poetry studies out of sight. There is even a statue in Sicily.  Although other allegations have been made about her death, it is known that there is a romantic story about Sappho’s death that has been valid since the Greek playwright Menander. According to the story, Sappho committed suicide by jumping off the Leucadian cliffs because of her love for a boatman named Phaon.

…they say that Sappho was the first,

hunting down the proud Phaon,

to throw herself, in her goading desire, from the rock

that shines from afar.

But now, in accordance with your sacred utterance,

lord king, let there be silence

throughout the sacred precinct of the headland of the White Rock

Menander F 258K

Source: Şar İşbi̇len, E , Çığır Di̇kyol, D . (2020). Antik Yunan Dünyasında Bir Kadın Olarak Sappho’nun Yeri . Dumlupınar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi , (66) , 147-161 . Retrieved from https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/dpusbe/issue/57463/736459

Picture Source: Lawrence Alma-Tadema – Sappho and Alcaeus (1881)by the Walters Art Museum