Lesbos

“live”. Most recently I have been coming across things like “weird” news or “unusual history” from the past that I had no knowledge of or, better yet, know they even existed. One piece of history that was somewhat surprising to me was the history of lesbianism. We all know that lesbianism has been around for a long time. I know that the gay community is still in the shadows and not really openly accepted still to this day. However, many decades ago many women have changed the face of lesbianism and brought out homosexuality to life. I want to bring to life two women, that quite frankly, I had no idea existed. One woman that changed the face of “womanly love” goes by the name “Sappho”. She was born around 615-630 bc in the Greek Island of Lesbos. (Brekke and Sopelsa) She was an Alexandrian poet that wrote about her desire for women. Her style of poetry which was “lyrical” poetry was both inventive and amazing for that time. Lyrical poetry was combined with music and an instrument; usually a lyre. Her ideals became very well known in the community and even praised and honored for her lyricism and cultural impact. (North, Alix) . I never really thought about women back in history being secretly attracted to one another. I am aware that some attraction for a different sex can be without knowing and very surprising, but what was very interesting was that lesbianism was widely accepted back then. Unfortunately, is still not fully accepted as it was before. I can imagine how it…

As weather in the Aegean Sea has taken a turn for the worse, turning wind-whipped sea corridors into deadly passages for thousands of refugees crossing from Turkey to Greece, an overcrowded boat taking on water as it approaches the Greek Island of Lesbos. The boat is carrying around 150 refugees, mostly Syrians. It apparently begins filling up with water and starts leaning in the middle of the sea. A Greek Fisherman rushes with his small boat to the sinking refugee boat. He ties a rope to the…

Curious pattern of the lines three long line sequences with a short fourth. The dialect , Greek meter verses were all work of Sappho. Often distressed songs about her influence to honoring young women left her as sapphic or lesbian, from the island Lesbos. Sapphic stanza, the four-line stanza she is said to have invented. The style of the poem along with the meaning is carefully studied. She isn't an ordinary poet, Sappho’s sexuality has been the subject of many disputes. Critics ridiculed her…

Right vs. Responsibility Why states should protect one another. Along the sunny shorelines of Lesbos, Greece, a small body washes ashore. A child, in a failed attempt to seek refuge from the terrors in Syria. Teary eyed volunteers grasp the child, and bury it modestly. The government stops these Samaritans from grave digging, resulting in complete outrage and many unanswered questions. Implicitly, they ask this: wouldn’t you want your family given burial if you were unable? Is it not within…

Little is known about the life of Sappho, or Psappa in her native dialect. Her birthplace was either Eressos or Mytilene to an aristocratic family on the island of Lesbos. Many scholars always say that Sappho came from a wealthy family and the wealth allowed for her to live a comfortable lifestyle, this cannot be supported. Most wealthy women in Lesbos married according to their customs and traditions of their city-states and even though Sappho was possibility wealth, this would have not made…

Hey Facebook friends, I am excited to let you know that I have the opportunity to return to Greece this year. I will be going with a team of 5 to Lesbos, Greece. Our work will be similar to last year. We are providing humanitarian aid and crisis relief to Persian speaking refugees. I will be on the island for 2 weeks with my team of 5 from Hinson and Kim Garrity our long term worker from Germany. The refugee crisis is complicated and multilayered. It’s not simply a matter of good guys and bad…

Two main types of lyrics are the personal and the choral lyric. Personal lyric was developed on the island of Lesbos. The poet and musician Terpander, who was born on Lesbos but lived most of his life in Sparta, is considered the first Greek lyric poet because he was the earliest to set poetry to music. Terpander was followed by Alcaeus. He used political, religious, and personal themes in his lyrics and invented the Alcaic Strophe. Sappho, the greatest woman poet in Ancient Greece, invented the…

soldiers to scattered positions to spread forces thin. The overconfidence of the Athenians play in their favor because they feel as if their military is gives them the strength in battle. Even though the Athenians thought they were the best, other poleis, like the Spartans and Peloponnesians, were trying to liberate the Greeks from the aggressive Athenian imperialism. The Athenians do not “prevent visitors from observing or discovering” their city-state (Dutton 69). Regardless, other poleis’,…

A god named Muse Calliope gave birth to a baby boy named Orpheus and his father was but a human. When Orpheus was young he was taught by his mother and her sister Muses. As he grew up he was gifted with his lyre many loved his music. While on a trip he met a women named Eurydice and he fell in love. He asked if she would marry him and she said she would and then they where married. While on a walk she was bit by a viper on the foot and died. She then went to the underworld that was controlled by…

the tale of Zeus, king of Greek Gods, who transforms himself to the form of an eagle and abducts Ganymede, a prince. A fight that happens between Zephyr, the god of West Wind and Apollo over Hyacinth, a handsome youth (Pattanaik, 2014, p 19). In the Aeolian Culture of the Greek Island Lesbos, Sappho, the poet immensely praises the beauty of women in all of her poetry (Ibid, p 20). The term ‘lesbian’ emerged from the avowals of love for women in Sappho’s poetry (Crompton, 2003, p 18). In and…