Pilgrimage of poems: All the troops in Lydia

We’re turning the WABAC machine way, way back for National Poetry Month today, and going to the island of Lesbos in the Sixth Century B.C.E., and the poems of Sappho.

Yes, that Sappho.

She wrote a lot of poems, but we don’t have much left of her work except a couple of poems and a fistful of fragments. That’s on account of in 380 C.E. the Christian church destroyed most of everything she produced.

Much of what we do have explores love, and specifically refer to Sappho’s lovers of both sexes. Many, many of them reference the goddess of love, Aphrodite. Here’s one that’s probably complete:

“Artfully adorned Aphrodite”

Artfully adorned Aphrodite, deathless

child of Zeus and weaver of wiles I beg you

please don't hurt me, don't overcome my spirit,

goddess, with longing,

but come here, if ever at other moments

hearing these my words from afar you listened

and responded: leaving your father's house, all

golden, you came then,

hitching up your chariot: lovely sparrows

drew you quickly over the dark earth, whirling

on fine beating wings from the heights of heaven

down through the sky and

instantly arrived - and then O my blessed

goddess with a smile on your deathless face you

asked me what the matter was this time, what I

called you for this time,

what I now most wanted to happen in my

raving heart: "Whom this time should I persuade to

lead you back again to her love? Who now, oh

Sappho, who wrongs you?

If she flees you now, she will soon pursue you;

if she won't accept what you give, she'll give it;

if she doesn't love you, she'll love you soon now,

even unwilling."

Come to me again, and release me from this

want past bearing. All that my heart desires to

happen - make it happen. And stand beside me,

goddess, my ally.

Here’s the scoop on Aphrodite: sometimes she brings happiness; sometimes not so much. So here’s another view of love—this one a fragment, but pretty substantial nonetheless. I really like her use of military images to frame the discussion.

“Some say thronging cavalry”

Some say thronging cavalry, some say foot soldiers,

others call a fleet the most beautiful of

sights the dark earth offers, but I say it's what-

ever you love best.

And it's easy to make this understood by

everyone, for she who surpassed all human

kind in beauty, Helen, abandoning her

husband--that best of

men--went sailing off to the shores of Troy and

never spent a thought on her child or loving

parents: when the goddess seduced her wits and

left her to wander,

she forgot them all, she could not remember

anything but longing, and lightly straying

aside, lost her way. But that reminds me

now: Anactória,

she's not here, and I'd rather see her lovely

step, her sparkling glance and her face than gaze on

all the troops in Lydia in their chariots and

glittering armor

Personally, I always favored Athena, but that's just me.