Time Machine to…Lesbos

For me, one of the most enigmatically romantic figures in all of history is Sappho (Psappha) of Lesbos. Living in the late 7th/early 6th century BCE, this woman became renowned for her talent with lyric poetry–Plato called her The Tenth Muse. He was not alone in that assessment as is evidenced by the fact that her works were required reading for all of those wanting to claim they were properly educated.

What I find most amusing is how this great poet has become synonymous with female homosexuality (lesbian, sapphic) even thought no good evidence exists one way or another. For me, the question is hardly the reason to jump in a time machine to learn more about this woman.

The reason to go back is to get to know the poems…not just the text, but their context. They are filled with love and wonder and faith. Are the poems autobiographical? There’s no way to know except to observe the world of their author. There are so many questions, but almost no answers.

It’s actually amazing that we know as much as we do about this talent. Almost all of her work has been lost. What fragments that remain are exactly that–fragments. One complete (or essentially complete) poem remains. Much of what we know comes from citations in the works of others who quoted her. But even in these tantalizing glimpses, the genius of the works emerges. The lyrics work on so many levels with such an economy of words that emotion springs from the page with little effort required by the reader (assuming at least some basic familiarity with the ancient Gods and their appellations). I’ve read numerous free and published translations, and in every case the skill of the poet transcends the biases of the translators. (For what it’s worth, I highly recommend SAPPHO (Shambhala Pocket Classics) by Mary Barnard as being one of the most accessible translations out there.)

So, when the time machine is fired up, Lesbos is certainly on the list of destinations.