Recent Posts
NAME: Sappho
LIFETIME: Between 630 and 612 BCE – around 570 BCE
WHAT SHE IS KNOWN FOR: Sappho is known for her erotica and semi-autobiographical poetry that only survives in fragments today.
WHY WE LOVE HER: Not much is known about Sappho’s life, and what we do know is drawn from her poetry. She was born into an aristocratic family and lived on the island of Lesbos until she was exiled to Sicily during a political crisis. Only a single complete poem of her’s survives, the rest are in pieces or believed to have been destroyed at the Library of Alexandria. Sappho is considered one of the greatest lyric poets of all time, focusing on the portrayal of beauty through love, infatuation and sexual desires. Her poetry highlights her passion and love for people of both sexes.
FUN FACT: Tradition says that Sappho killed herself by jumping off the Leucadian cliffs for love of Phaon, a ferryman. However, this is regarded as fallacy that attempts to make Sappho heterosexual.
