But why this fear of love? -Sappho

I decided to switch to Blogspot for classical blogging and leave Tumblr for teenage squabbles. Bear with me whilst I work out how to use this thing!

Sappho by Alma-Tadema

For my first post, I thought I'd write a little bit on the lovely lady in the painting: Sappho! (The woman resting her head on her arm against the lecturn). She was a Greek lyric poet, and she dominates what we think of female desire today.
In ancient Greek times, it was not uncommon for men, including the likes of Socrates, to find themselves attracted to young, beautiful boys. Provided that this attraction did not go further than a cheeky peck, this was absolutely accepted as a part of Greek society. Women desiring women, however, was atrocious. Simon Goldhill wrote: "Male writers who idealise love of boys describe female desire for females as horrific, immoral, contrary to nature and just disgusting."
Sappho lived round about the beginning of the sixth century BC on the island of Lesbos, where she wrote love poetry, of which some was directed towards females. In case you haven't already figured it, the word "lesbian" is directly derived from "Lesbos", where she was born. Her poems imply lovers of both sexes, but naturally, it was her infatuation with the women she wrote about that intrigued us all. Despite the disgust felt by men towards women wanting women, Sappho was considered as one of the greatest lyrical poets in antiquity -  Plato even referred to her as the tenth Muse! She was held in high regard, with men singing songs of her stories for years to come. Third century BC philosopher, Maximus of Tyre, described her relationships with women similar to Socrates' relationship with men:
"What else could one call the love of the Lesbian woman than the Socratic art of love? For they seem to me to have practised love after their own fashion, she love the love of women, he of boys. For they said they have loved many, and were captivated by all things beautiful."
Unfortunately, there is very little we know about her, as the only proof we have of her existence is her poems, which cannot be used autobiographically. It provides us with a canvas with a dim outline, leaving the rest for us to imagine for ourselves. The European Renaissance and the ages that followed gave us incredible imagery of what may have gone on on the isle of Lesbos, for example....

Sappho & Friends by Edouard-Henri Avril

Not quite the outing you'd have with your friends nowadays!
I'll conclude my little "Welcome to Sappho's existence" post by saying that she was a total babe, and if you have the chance, read her poetry. It is ever so beautiful.

"You may forget but
Let me tell you
this: someone in
some future time
will think of us"
-Sappho
You sure got that one right, girl!


Thanks for reading!