Sappho

Greek women, with the exception of the wealthy and maybe those from Sparta, were generally viewed as second to men in Greek culture. Women were so isolated from society focusing mainly on activities within their household. It is ironic that, despite these restrictions placed on women, the Greek god of Athena is one of wisdom, war, and the arts. These topics seem to be hardly connected to life within the home and Athena comes to be the patron god of Athens. Additionally, Greece is the birthplace of democracy, but most women were stripped of their political rights. Thus, it is important to realize that even in a highly free western culture, injustice can still be found among its ranks as seen in the status of women in society.

With that being said, Sappho represents a rare light among ancient Greek writers being a woman and overcoming this seemingly insurmountable hurdle. She may be the first female author of ancient Greece that I have studied in a class. Having invented her own Sapphic meter and spreading her works from Sicily to Egypt, it is clear that she was one of the great poets of her time equal to men. Although I disagree with her seemingly homoerotic nature of poetry, it is no surprise that it may not have been condemned at the time due to immoral homosexual activity amongst males being present in Greek culture.

Nevertheless, her poetry is very real and holds deep emotional sentiments that can be felt by all regardless of who the feelings are aimed at. Feelings of unrequited love, loved ones being taken away from us, and jealousy are all emotions that we can relate to regardless of our time period. These poems contain an underlying human connection that transcends time and culture where placing ourselves in similar situations comes naturally as we read the texts. Do you agree with this idea of a seemingly everlasting human connection or does reading these poems feel distant from your perspective?

-BaylorBear16