THE NAME OF THE LYRIC REVOLUTION: EGELİ POET SAPPHO AND HIS WORLD.

THE NAME OF THE LYRIC REVOLUTION: EGELİ POET SAPPHO AND HIS WORLD.

 What is known about the life of the great poet Sappho (Σαπφώ), the great poet of lyricism, who was born in Lesbos Island (today's name Lesbos), an important island of the Aiol cultural region in the late 7th century BC, is very limited.  Sappho's poems, collected by the Alexandrians in nine books, have survived thanks to fragments and quotes on papyrus.  The only poem that survives today as a whole is by Dionysios of Halicarnassus.  It is a seven-continent poem named "Poetry to Aphrodite" quoted in the 1st century.

 The Archaic Period is a period when Athens is not yet politically and culturally up-to-date.  Names such as Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Aiskhylos and Euripides, who are among the first philosophers and writers to come to mind when talking about Greek culture, were not born in Sappho's period.  There is a clan society in Athens that still preserves tribal traditions.  The "Laws of Dracon" (624 BC), written by Drakon (Δράκων), accepted as the first legislator and one of the six Arhon, have just come into effect.  Before this date, there were no written laws in Athens.  The nobles acted arbitrarily while interpreting old customs and traditions according to their own interests.  For this reason, Drakon is tasked with creating systematic rules and laws to maintain social order.  In this context, it has taken measures to end blood feuds and created a penal code that includes very harsh and severe penalties.  It still maintains its reputation through the adjective "Draconian / Draconien" used in Western languages ​​to describe an overly strict rule or precaution.

 The recognition of Sappho and his works in Athens started with Peisistratos, when Athens was the cultural center of the Greek world.  In Attica iconography, scenes in which Sappho is depicted alone with his lyre in his hand begin to appear in vases of the 5th century BC.  On the other hand, we see that in Ionia, unlike the Greek mainland, trade and production are quite developed and an "Isonomia", ie egalitarian order prevails.

 Sappho, the symbol of the transition from epic poetry to lyric poetry in ancient Greek literature, is one of the greatest poets not only of Lesbos, but of the whole Greek world.  He is, above all, a poet of love and nature.  Sappho's name is written as 'Psappho' (Ψάπφω) in Aeolian dialect.  This word is etymologically thought to be of Asian origin.  B.C.  Born in an aristocratic family around 612, Sappho's mother is Kleis and his father is Skamandronymos.  Some have claimed that his father took this name from Skamandros (Karamenderes Stream) in Troas and that his ancestors participated in the Trojan War.  It is reported by Strabon that Sappho has three brothers and his brother named Kharaksos mentioned in his poems also exported famous Lesbos wines by sea to Naukratis in Egypt.  By establishing a school on the island, Sappho taught music and poetry to well-educated noble family daughters, just as the Greek philosopher Socrates raised young men.  It is thought that the female poet named Erinna, who lived in Lesbos at the end of the 4th century BC and died at the age of 19, is also thought to be one of Sappho's students.

 

 Sappho is known for his wedding table and ceremony, his poems sung in front of the wedding room, and the lines he wrote in the genres of Epithalamium, Hymnos and Mersiye.  His poems in the style of "Epithalamium" are extremely valuable in terms of providing information on the marriage institution of the period, the distribution of men and women in marriage, marriage rituals and the life of girls before marriage.

 The most important reason why Sappho, who was named by Plato as one of the wisest women after centuries and named "The Tenth Moses", has been an influential figure for centuries, is undoubtedly the most important reason why love poems are written for women and that love, desire and beauty can be sustained in his poems.  It has worked with a successful style.  Sappho showed an attitude away from politics in his poems and was not very interested in the political issues of his period.  Information on Sappho's private life is far from certain.  It is thought that he married a rich man named Kerkylas from Andros Island and had a daughter named Kleis.  Kleis's name is also mentioned in his own poems.  It is thought that he spent most of his life in Lesbos, where he established a school for unmarried young women.

 Sappho died in Lesbos, his birthplace.  There is also a myth about his death that appears in Greek comedy writers.  According to this legend, Sappho committed suicide by jumping from the rocks of Leukadia off the coast of Epeiros because of his love for a boatman named Phaon.  Sappho became one of his poets known as "Theios" after his death, and received praise from great masters such as Plato, Horatius and Dionysios of Halicarnassus.

 Although the poet from Lesbos died, his name continued to live.  The fresco whose image I shared shows how much a beloved poet he was in Rome.  Also, according to a common practice, cities in the Roman provinces M.S.  In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, they depicted local heroes and citizens who played an important role in the history of that city on their coins.  On the coins of Mytilene, Sappho was also depicted with Pittakos, Alkaios and his lyre.  B.C.  In the 3rd century, while the Alexandrian scholars created a canon where they identified nine great lyrical poetry poets, only one female poet was included in the famous canon with famous names such as Alkman, Alkaios, Pindaros;

 He is also Sappho.