Sappho was a renowned poet from ancient Greece, specifically the island of Lesbos.

Sappho is notable for being synonymous with same-sex romance (the words sapphic and lesbian come from her name and the name of her homeland), and remains one of the most recognizable names in modern times among ancient greek artists. Despite her significant fame both then and now, very little of Sappho's poetry actually survived, and historical records about her are similarly sparse.

In fact, just one complete poem of Sappho's has survived to this day. The remainder of her works that can be read today have been pieced together by experts in various disciplines, relying on other records from around the same time and region, oral traditions, and much more. Some of these were mostly complete, while others attempts at recreating/restoring a poem start with as little as a few words from the original source. In terms of her appearance, we suspect her hair may have been dark. Nothing else is known. Portraits of Sappho are reimaginings or interpretations of the famed poet.

In some ways, her continued renown--in spite of having her art lost to history--can be seen as a testament to the strength of her reputation and her skill as a poet. At the same time, the academic study around Sappho can also be seen as a fascinating microcosm of how we interact with art and history. The historical record is never seen with the (metaphorical) naked eye; sometimes we are simply more conscious of the (metaphorical) lens than others.

Announcements & Information

Megathreads and spaces to hang out:
❤️ Come listen to music with your fellow Hexbears in Cy.tube
💖 Come talk in the New weekly queer thread
🧡 Monthly Neurodiverse Megathread
💛 Read about a current topic in the news
⭐️ May Movie Schedule ⭐️

Reminders:
💚 You can join specific comms to see posts about all sorts of topics
💙 Hexbear’s algorithm prioritizes comments and discussions over upbears
💜 Sorting by new makes your comrades happy
🌈 If you ever want to make your own megathread, you can go here

‏‏‎ ‎
Links To Resources (Aid and Theory):