Themes of Spahho's poetry

• Kletic poems:

  • Aphrodite Goddess of embroidered throne
  • Come to me leave Crete behind (call to Aphrodite)
  • Come Queen Hera
• Aphrodite:

  • Aphrodite Goddess of the embroidered throne
  • Come to me leave Crete behind (call to Aphrodite)
  • Cypris (Cypris = Aphrodite) - also a propempticon poem 
  • I call upon you, Abanthis
  • Put garlands around your lovely hair, O’ Dika (aphrodite + Graces)
• Propemticon poem = goodbye poem
• Sardis = Persian city
• Homeric Style:

  • Aphrodite Goddess of the embroidered throne
  • Come to me leave Crete behind (call to Aphrodite)
  • The most beautiful sight in the whole world 
  • Come Queen Hera (Loeb 17)
  • Often she turned her thoughts here
• Homeric style = use of Homeric similes, reference to Troy and vivid/sensory description
• Female Agency:

  • The most beautiful sight in the whole world 
  • Virginity
• Society (Wealth/Class):

  • Cypris (says what wealthy people should/shouldn’t do)
  • Embroidered sandals (wealth)
  • What farm girl (Class)
  • Honestly i want to die (class/wealth - can afford perfume)
  • My mother said (Purple = Wealth)
  • Just like a Hyacinth (Purple = Wealth)
  • Wealth without virtue (dangers of wealth)
• Society (Men/Women + Expectations + views):

  • May the maidens sing (womens role)
  • A handsome man is only good to look at (views on beauty)
  • When you die (burial)
  • Sweet mother (women’s role)
  • The doorkeeper (women allowed to mock men here - rare opportunity)
  • Raise the roof (society - allowed to joke/mock at weddings)
  • Lucky Bridegroom (No gay marriage)
  • Virginity (becoming a woman)
  • If you care about me (fear of aging)
  • I want to say something (expectations of men)
• Weddings/marriage :

  • Honestly i want to die
  • The doorkeeper 
  • Raise the roof (allowed to joke/mock at weddings)
  • Lucky Bridegroom
  • Virginity
  • may the maidens sing
• Jealousy + Unrequited love:

  • Aphrodite Goddess of the embroidered throne
  • He is as blessed as a god
  • I do not think that i can touch the sky with my hands
  • Lucky bridegroom 
• Love is war:

  • Aphrodite Goddess of the embroidered throne
  • The most beautiful sight in the whole world (some see military as beautiful)
• Natural beauty + Lesbos:

  • Come to me, leave crete behind (lesbos +natural beauty)
  • Come, Queen Hera (just lesbos)
  • Around the beautiful moon (Just natural beauty)
  • Often she turned her thoughts here (natural beauty is constant)
  • Just like the Hyacinth
• Physical beauty:

  • The most beautiful sight in the whole world
  • A handsome man is only good to look at
  • Put garlands around your lovely hair O’ Dika
  • Just like the Hyacinth
  • If you care about me (scared of losing beauty)
• Physical power of love:

  • He is as blessed as a god (desire - physical symptoms)
  • Love shook my soul
  • You came, just what i was looking for
  • Love which loosens the limbs (Bitter-sweet)
• Longing + absent lover:

  • You will remember (absent lover - lover gets married)
  • Honestly i want to die (longing to be with lover who got married)
  • Gongyla (longing for ex)
  • Atthis, the thought of me (longing/breakup)
  • I want to say something (desire/longing)
  • Gone are the moon and Pleiades (longing)
• Desire:

  • The most beautiful sight in the whole world (about Anactoria)
  • I call upon you, Abanthis
  • He is as blessed as a god (physical symptoms)
  • You came, just what i was looking for
  • Often she turned her thoughts here (desire - unknown crush)
  • Sweet mother (Desire/crush - distracting)
  • Just like the sweet apple (desire/unattainable?)
  • I want to say something
• Family:

  • Cypris (about charaxos)
  • Come, Queen Hera (protect Charaxos while on journey)
  • The most beautiful sight in the whole world (Helen abandoned family)
  • My mother said 
  • Sweet mother
  • I have a beautiful daughter 
• Sappho's daughter = Kleis
• Sappho's brother = Charaxos
• The Hetaira Charaxos was seeing = Doricha
• Abanthis = one of Sappho's students
• Andromeda = Sappho's rival who stole her lover, atthis
• Andromeda:

  • I used to love you, Atthis
  • When you die
  • What farm girl 
  • Atthis, the thought of me
• Society (Fashion):

  • Embroidered sandals 
  • Put garlands around your lovely hair 
  • My mother said 
• Poetry:

  • I call upon you, Abanthis
  • Who gave their works 
  • When you die
  • Come my divine lyre
  • Now, for my companions
• Persia:

  • The most beautiful sight in the whole world (anactoria -sappho’s lover- is in Lydia)
  • Embroidered sandals 
  • Often she turned her thoughts here
  • My mother said
• Unrequited love/unattainable lover:

  • Aphrodite, goddess of the embroidered throne (unrequited - “even if she does not want to)
  • He is a blessed as a god
  • I do not think i can touch the sky with my hands (the girl is unattainable)
  • Gongyla (gongyla not sharing Sappho’s feelings may be causing the pain/want to die)
  • Often she turned her thoughts here (Sappho talking about someone who had a crush on Atthis)
  • Sweet Mother (crush on a boy)
  • Just like the sweet apple (unattainable)
  • Atthis, the thought of me (love that has turned unrequited)