Preliminaries: Very little is known about the historical figure Sappho, other than that she was a poet of archaic Lesbos. Her poetry survives only in fragments. The poetry of Sappho is therefore exceedingly difficult to interpret, and has given rise to a number of modern misconceptions about Sappho and the world she inhabited. If you would like to read more about the modern myths that have grown up around the figure of Sappho, or what we do and do not know about her, I encourage you to read Holt Parker's article, "Sappho Schoolmistress."

The poetry of Sappho was revered in antiquity, and she was called in some traditions "the tenth Muse." Here is a painting of her from the Roman town of Pompeii:   Another famous lyric poet from archaic Lesbos was Alcaeus. On this vase Sappho and Alcaeus are represented holding lyres with which they accompanied their songs (click on the icon for a larger image):

A) Sappho 16 stanza 1

Some say an army of horsemen,
some of footsoldiers, some of ships,
is the fairest thing on earth,
but I say it is what one loves.

 

B) Sappho 44 The Wedding of Hektor and Andromache

...Cyprus...
...The herald Idaios came...a swift messenger
...and the rest of Asia...unwilting glory (kleos aphthiton).
Hektor and his companions led the dark-eyed
luxuriant Andromache from holy Thebes and...Plakia
in ships upon the salty sea. Many golden bracelets and purple
garments..., ornaments with many different patterns,
countless silver cups and ivory.
Thus he spoke. And his dear father quickly leapt up.
And the story went to his friends through the broad city.
Straightaway the Trojans joined mules to smooth-running carriages,
And the whole band of women and...maidens got on.
Separately, the daughters of Priam...
And the unmarried men led horses beneath the chariots
and greatly...charioteers...
< >
< >
< >
...like the gods
...holy
set forth into Troy...
And the sweet song of the flute mixed...
And the sound of the castanets, and then the maidens
sang a sacred song
and a wondrous echo reached the heavens...
And everywhere through the streets...
Mixing bowls and cups...
And myrrh and cassia and frankincense were mingled.
And the older women wailed aloud.
And all the men gave forth a high-pitched song,
calling upon Paon [Apollo] the far-darter who is skilled in the lyre, to sing of Hektor and Andromache, like to the gods [theoeikelois].

 

C) Sappho 55 (translation after Julia Dubnoff)

When you lie dead there will be no remembrance of you,
nor will there be any need for you in the future. For you have no share in
the Muses' roses. But unseen even in the house of Hades
you will roam flitting aimlessly about among the shadowy dead.

 

D) "He is dying, Aphrodite;
luxuriant Adonis is dying.
What should we do?"

"Beat your breasts, young maidens.
And tear your garments
in grief."

 

E) Oh, weep for Adonis!

 

F) (From a wedding song; translation after Andrew Miller)

Like the sweet apple that reddens on the highest branch,
on the very top of the top-most branch, and the apple-pickers have forgotten it,
no they have not forgotten it, they could not reach it.

 

G) (From a wedding song)

Like the hyacinth, which shepherd in the mountains
step on with their feet, and on the ground the purple flower…

 

H) From Euripides' Hippolytus

To you, poor sufferer, in compensation for for these miseries, I will grant the greatest tîmai in the polis of Troizen: unwed girls before marriage will cut off their hair for you, and through the length of time you will harvest the sorrows [penthos pl.] of their tears. It will be the care of the virgin girls to make songs about you, and so Phaedra's love for you will not fade away unremembered and remain a secret.

Casey Dué Hackney
CLAS 3307: Greek and Roman Myths of Heroes
University of Houston
Last modified August 1, 2001.