Searching for Sappho
Page 21
men’s choice of potential mate, 33–36
men’s role in, 24–25, 26
and Sappho’s wedding songs, 29–30, 38–50, 122
women’s choice in, 32–33, 36
women’s marriage age, 25–27, 86, 151
women’s role in, 25–27
Massalia, Gaul, 98–99
maternal mortality rate, 74
Maximus of Tyre
Orations, 158–59
quotations of Sappho’s poetry, 265n
on Sappho, xxvii, 260n, 262n, 272n, 273n, 274n, 275n
medical texts and practices
on aging women, 151
and pregnancy and childbirth, 62–70, 71, 74
and sexual behavior, 111
Megacles, 90
Megara (friend), xi, 266n
Melanchros, 90
Menander, 37, 168
Menelaus, 145
men in classical world
acceptable sexual behavior of, xxii–xxiii, 109, 110–12
and birth of children, 74–75
education of boys, 10–11, 12, 81
lack of responsibility for fertility, 64–65
marriage age for, 24–25, 26, 151
and pederasty, 110–11
qualities of potential mate, 33–36
relationship with children, 77, 81
and women’s religious practices, 135–36
Mica (friend), 94
midwives, 71–73, 74, 75, 152
music, Sappho’s training in, 13
Myrsilus, 92, 95, 96
Myrtis, 161–62
mystery religions, 135, 153
Mytilene, Lesbos, 6, 59, 89–90, 92, 97, 98, 99
nature, in Sappho’s poetry, 10
Naucratis, Egypt, 99–100, 103
Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon), 92
Nehemiah, 89
Neoboule, 28
Nossis, 165–66
Obbink, Dirk, 104–5
oracles, women as, 135
ostrakon (potsherd), Sappho’s poetry preserved on, 140–41, 258n
Ovid, 5, 104, 169, 171, 260n
Oxford University, xii, 61, 104–5, 173
Oxyrhynchus, Egypt
Egyptian workers digging for papyrus fragments, xiv
Grenfell and Hunt excavating, xii–xv, xx, xxvii, 100, 106, 259n
papyri from excavation of, xii, xiii–xv, xiv, xvi, xvii, xx, xxvii, 57–58, 59, 61, 88, 93–94, 128, 155–56
Page, Denys, Poetarum Lesbiorum Fragmenta, 173
Panormus, Sicily, 96, 263n
papyri
of Corinna’s works, 162–63
Egyptian workers digging for papyrus fragments at Oxyrhynchus, xiv
of Erinna’s works, 164
fragments from Milan and Copenhagen, 94–95
in Oxyrhynchus excavation, xii, xiii–xv, xiv, xvi, xvii, xx, xxvii, 57–58, 59, 61, 88, 93–94, 128, 155–56
of Praxilla of Sicyon’s works, 163
Sappho Poem 44, xv, xvi
at University of Mississippi, 105
Parian Marble, 95–96
partheneia (maiden songs), 17
patriarchal society, 31
pectis (type of lyre), Sappho’s invention of, 13
Penthilidae clan, 90, 92, 93–94, 267n
Persephone (goddess), 136, 146–47, 270n
Perses, 87
pets, 8, 10
phallic humor, in Sappho’s wedding songs, 50
Philo, 271n
Philostratus, 275n
Phocaea, 98–99
Phoenicia, 97
Photius, 274n
phratries (fraternal organizations), 4
Phrygia, 97
Phrynichus, 274n
Phrynon, 90
Pindar, 162, 169
Pittacus
as ruler of Lesbos, 6, 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96–97, 108, 267n
Sappho as contemporary of, xi, 6
Plato, 12, 25, 113, 168, 257n
plectrum (stick or quill), Sappho’s invention of, xi, 13
Plutarch
Advice on Marriage, 53–54
on conception, 65
and Myrtis’s poetry, 162
quotations of Sappho’s poetry, 245n, 265–66n, 273n
on sexual behavior of women, 113
Pollux, 265n, 269n, 274n, 275n
Pompeii, 112
Porphyry, 275n
Poseidon (god), 137
Posidippus, 3
Posippus, 103
Praxilla of Sicyon, 163
prostitutes
in Nossis’s poetry, 166
Plutarch on, 54
role of, 55–56, 76
Sappho criticized as prostitute, xxi
in Sappho’s poetry, 5, 100–104, 108
slave women used as, 66
on vase paintings, 67
Psammethichus I (pharaoh), 99
Ptolemaeus, 81
Pyrrha, Lesbos, 92, 95
Pythia at Delphi, 135
Rhodopis. See Doricha
rhombos (bull-roarer),
123
Rome and Romans
fall of Rome, xii
and Sappho’s influence on Latin verse, 166, 168–70, 171
Salinger, J. D., Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters, 49, 269n
same-sex relationships
of men in classical world, 110–11, 112
in Sappho’s poetry, 115–31
and Sappho’s prayer to Aphrodite, 116–17, 118, 119, 138–39
of women in classical world, 112–19
Sapphic stanza, 13
Sappho of Lesbos
on Athenian calathos-psykter, 91
biography contained on fragmentary papyrus, 57–58, 88–89
birth of, xvii, 6
childhood and youth of, 1, 10, 11–12, 13, 14–17, 21
death of, 158–59
education of, 11–12, 13
family background of, xi, xvii, 2, 4–5, 8, 26, 33, 57, 78
as first woman writer, xvii, 241–42n
Grenfell and Hunt discovering papyrus fragment with poetry of, xv, xvii
identity of father, xi, 5, 243n
image of life, xxi–xxii, 161
legacy of, xxiv, 168–72
marriage of, 23–24, 26, 33, 57
meaning of name, 243n
physical appearance of, xxi
quotations of ancient authors, xix–xx
recovery of works, xx–xxi
reputation of, xxi, 161, 172
sexuality of, xxii–xxiii, 23, 24
songs of, xvii, xviii
surviving remnants of poetry, xviii–xix, 242n
timeline, xxvii
translations of works, 172–74
types of poems written by, xvii–xviii
Sappho Poem 1, 174–75, 257–58n
Sappho Poem 2, 175–76, 258–59n
Sappho Poem 3, 176–77, 259n
Sappho Poem 4, 177, 259n
Sappho Poem 5, 177–78, 259n
Sappho Poem 6, 178, 259n
Sappho Poem 7, 178, 259n
Sappho Poem 8, 179, 260n
Sappho Poem 9, 179
Sappho Poem 12, 179
Sappho Poem 15, 179, 260n
Sappho Poem 16, 180–81, 260n
Sappho Poem 17, 181, 260–61n
Sappho Poem 18, 182, 261n
Sappho Poem 19, 182, 261n
Sappho Poem 20, 182–83, 261n
Sappho Poem 21, 183, 261n
Sappho Poem 22, 184, 261–62n
Sappho Poem 23, 184–85, 262n
Sappho Poem 24, 185
Sappho Poem 25, 186
Sappho Poem 26, 186
Sappho Poem 27, 186–87
Sappho Poem 29, 187, 262n
Sappho Poem 30, 188, 262n
Sappho Poem 31, 188–89, 262–63n, 273n
Sappho Poem 32, 189, 263n
Sappho Poem 33, 189
Sappho Poem 34, 190, 263n
Sappho Poem 35, 190, 263n
Sap
pho Poem 36, 190
Sappho Poem 37, 190, 263n
Sappho Poem 38, 191, 263–64n
Sappho Poem 39, 191
Sappho Poem 40, 191
Sappho Poem 41, 191
Sappho Poem 42, 191,
264n
Sappho Poem 43, 192
Sappho Poem 44
papyrus fragment from Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, xv, xvi, 173
translation of, 192–94, 264n
Sappho Poem 45, 194
Sappho Poem 46, 194, 264n
Sappho Poem 47, 194, 265n
Sappho Poem 48, 195
Sappho Poem 49, 195, 265n
Sappho Poem 50, 195, 265n
Sappho Poem 51, 195
Sappho Poem 52, 195
Sappho Poem 53, 196
Sappho Poem 54, 196, 265n
Sappho Poem 55, 196, 265–66n
Sappho Poem 56, 196
Sappho Poem 57, 197, 266n
Sappho Poem 58, 155–57, 197–98, 261n
Sappho Poem 59, 198
Sappho Poem 60, 198
Sappho Poem 61, 199
Sappho Poem 62, 199
Sappho Poem 63, 199–200
Sappho Poem 64, 200
Sappho Poem 65, 200, 266n
Sappho Poem 67, 201
Sappho Poem 68, 201–2, 266n
Sappho Poem 69, 202
Sappho Poem 70, 202, 266n
Sappho Poem 71, 203, 267n
Sappho Poem 73, 203
Sappho Poem 74, 204
Sappho Poem 76, 204
Sappho Poem 78, 204–5
Sappho Poem 80, 205
Sappho Poem 81, 205, 267n
Sappho Poem 82, 205–6, 267n
Sappho Poem 83, 206
Sappho Poem 84, 206
Sappho Poem 85, 206
Sappho Poem 86, 207, 267n
Sappho Poem 87, 207–8
Sappho Poem 88, 208–9
Sappho Poem 91, 209
Sappho Poem 92, 209
Sappho Poem 93, 210
Sappho Poem 94, 210–11, 268n
Sappho Poem 95, 211–12, 268n
Sappho Poem 96, 212–13, 268n
Sappho Poem 97, 213
Sappho Poem 98, 214–15, 268n
Sappho Poem 100, 215
Sappho Poem 101, 215, 268n
Sappho Poem 102, 215
Sappho Poem 103, 216–17, 269n
Sappho Poem 104, 218
Sappho Poem 105, 218, 269n
Sappho Poem 106, 219, 269n
Sappho Poem 107, 219
Sappho Poem 108, 219
Sappho Poem 109, 219
Sappho Poem 110, 219, 269n
Sappho Poem 111, 220, 269n
Sappho Poem 112, 220, 269n
Sappho Poem 113, 220
Sappho Poem 114, 221, 270n
Sappho Poem 115, 221
Sappho Poem 116, 221
Sappho Poem 117, 221
Sappho Poem 118, 222, 270n
Sappho Poem 119, 222
Sappho Poem 120, 222
Sappho Poem 121, 222
Sappho Poem 122, 222, 270n
Sappho Poem 123, 223
Sappho Poem 124, 223, 270n
Sappho Poem 125, 223, 270n
Sappho Poem 126, 223
Sappho Poem 127, 223
Sappho Poem 128, 224
Sappho Poem 129, 224
Sappho Poem 130, 224
Sappho Poem 131, 224, 270n
Sappho Poem 132, 225, 271n
Sappho Poem 133, 225, 271n
Sappho Poem 134, 225, 271n
Sappho Poem 135, 225, 271n
Sappho Poem 136, 226
Sappho Poem 137, 226, 271n
Sappho Poem 138, 226, 271n
Sappho Poem 139, 226, 271n
Sappho Poem 140, 227, 271n
Sappho Poem 141, 227, 271n
Sappho Poem 142, 227, 272n
Sappho Poem 143, 227
Sappho Poem 144, 228, 272n
Sappho Poem 145, 228, 272n
Sappho Poem 146, 228, 272n
Sappho Poem 147, 228
Sappho Poem 148, 228
Sappho Poem 149, 229
Sappho Poem 150, 229, 272n
Sappho Poem 151, 229
Sappho Poem 152, 229
Sappho Poem 153, 229
Sappho Poem 154, 230
Sappho Poem 155, 230, 273n
Sappho Poem 156, 230, 273n
Sappho Poem 157, 230
Sappho Poem 158, 230, 273n
Sappho Poem 159, 231, 273n
Sappho Poem 160, 231
Sappho Poem 161, 231
Sappho Poem 162, 231
Sappho Poem 163, 231
Sappho Poem 164, 232
Sappho Poem 165, 232, 273n
Sappho Poem 166, 232, 273n
Sappho Poem 167, 232
Sappho Poem 168, 232–33, 273–74n
Sappho Poem 169, 233
Sappho Poem 170, 233, 274n
Sappho Poem 171, 234, 274n
Sappho Poem 172, 234, 274n
Sappho Poem 173, 234
Sappho Poem 174, 234
Sappho Poem 175, 234
Sappho Poem 176, 234, 274n
Sappho Poem 177, 235, 274n
Sappho Poem 179, 235, 274n
Sappho Poem 180, 235, 274n
Sappho Poem 181, 235
Sappho Poem 182, 235
Sappho Poem 183, 235, 275n
Sappho Poem 184, 236
Sappho Poem 185, 236, 275n
Sappho Poem 186, 236, 275n
Sappho Poem 187, 236
Sappho Poem 188, 236, 275n
Sappho Poem 189, 236, 275n
Sappho Poem 190, 237
Sappho Poem 191, 237, 275n
Sappho Poem 192, 237, 275n
Sardis, Lydia, 128, 268n
Scamandronymos (possible father), xi, 5
Scythia, 97
Selene (goddess), 130
Semonides, 34–36
Semos (possible father), xi
Seres, 97
sexual behavior
Archilochus on, 111–13
Lucian on, 113–14
male-centered active/passive model of, 110
of men in classical world, xxii–xxiii, 109, 110–12
socially accepted rules of, 109–11
of women in classical world, xxii–xxiii, 109, 112–14
sexuality. See also homoeroticism; same-sex relationships
images from erotic vase paintings, 67
of Sappho, xxii–xxiii, 23, 24
in Sappho’s poetry, 45–46
sexual preferences
in classical world, 109–10, 113–14
modern categories of, xxii, 109, 110
Sicily
Sappho’s exile in, xvii, 6, 60, 61, 95–96, 155
Sappho’s experience of, 97
Simon (possible father), xi
Snyder, Jane McIntosh, 123
Socrates, 75, 107, 158–59, 265n, 272n, 273n, 275n
Solon, 53–54
Sophocles, 86
Soranus, 66, 68, 71, 74
Sparta
and Argos, 163
childbirth practices in, 74
and exposure of infants, 2
marriage age for women, 25
religious festivals for girls in, 17
religious practices of, 134
role of women in, 11
sexual behavior of women in, 113
spondee, as unit of poetry, 13
Stesichorus, xi
Stobaeus, 265n
Strabo, 103, 263n
Strato, 111
Suda encyclopedia
on Atthis, 128–29, 260n
on Gongyla, 261n
on Sappho’s family, xi, 57, 88, 243–44n
on Sappho’s husband, 23, 57
Sulpicia, 166–67
Swinburne, Algernon Charles, 158
Syracuse, Sicily, 96
Syrianus, 30
Telesilla of Argos, 163
Telesippa (friend), xi
Terentianus Maurus, 265n
Thales, 7
Thebes, 3, 134
Theognis, 111
Thesmophoria festival, 135–36, 137
Times Literary Supplement, 157
toys, 8, 15, 16, 21
Tryphon, 272n
Tyndareus, 32
Tzetzes, 172
University of Cologne, Germany, 156
University of Mississippi, 105
Verres (Roman governor), 96
Victorian scholars, 122, 124, 126, 172
virginity
death of virgin, 154
flower as metaphor for, 29
role of, 26, 27, 28–29, 87
in Sappho’s poetry, 27, 29–31
Voigt, Eva-Marie, Sappho et Alcaeus, 173
weaving, 4, 11, 12, 45, 52, 76
wedding songs, of Sappho, 29–30, 38–50, 122
West, M. L., 158
women in classical world. See also children and childhood; family; marriage
abortions, 66, 67–69
acceptable sexual behavior of, xxii–xxiii, 109, 112–14
bride’s procession, 41, 42–43
care of dead, 153–54
and childbirth, 2, 25, 26, 70–75, 149, 151
and divorce, 56, 64
duties of wife, 51–56, 63, 64–65, 76
education of girls, 11–12
everyday life in Athens, xxii, 32, 51
household management, 11, 25, 52, 53
infant girls, 2, 3, 4
knowledge passed among in private, 65
legal and social constraints on, 69
libation bowl with young women dancing around an altar, 143
life expectancy of, 149–50
marriage age, 25–27, 86, 151
marriage choice of, 32–33, 36
as matrons, 151–52
midwives, 71–73, 74, 75, 152
as mothers, 25, 56, 62, 63, 74, 75–83
and mystery religions, 135
nursemaids, 78–79
as poets, 161–67, 242n
and politics, 96
and pregnancy, 62–70
prevention of pregnancy, 65–68
and procreation, 36, 55
relationship with brothers, 86, 87, 100–108, 162
relationship with mother-in-law, 79–80, 82
religious life of, 135–47
rites celebrating puberty, 17–21
same-sex relationships of, 112–19
and Sappho’s childhood, 1
Sappho’s poetry illustrating, xix, xxii, 1
slave women, 55, 66, 79, 102–3, 152
Thesmophoria festival, 135–36, 137, 138
virginity’s role for, 26, 27, 28–31, 87
and weaving, 4, 11, 52, 76
Xanthes, 103
Xanthippe, 272n
Xenoclea, 80–81
Xenophon, 11, 55, 75
Zenobius, 273–74n
Zeus (god)
Corinna’s poetry on, 162–63
creation of human beings, 113
creation of women, 34, 35–36
and Demeter, 136, 137
and Hera, 127, 131, 142, 144
in Sappho’s poetry, 105, 106, 107, 273n
worship of, 134, 145
ALSO BY PHILIP FREEMAN
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