Hymn to Aphrodite
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| - | :''[[ancient erotica]]'' | + | '''Hymn to Aphrodite''' is a poem by [[Sappho]]. It is the only complete poem called "Fragment 1, the ''Hymn to [[Aphrodite]]''", quoted in its entirety as a model of the "polished and exuberant" style of composition by [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]], with admiration of its consummate artistry: |
| - | :''[[Homosexuality in ancient Greece]], [[erotica]], [[Greece]], [[pederasty]], [[Sotadic zone]], [[male prostitution in the arts]]'' | + | |
| - | The [[ancient Greece|ancient Greeks]] often painted sexual scenes on their [[Ceramic art|ceramics]], many of them famous for being some of the earliest depictions of [[homosexuality|same-sex relations]] and [[pederasty]]. Greek art often portrays sexual activity, but it is impossible to distinguish between what to them was illegal or immoral since the ancient Greeks did not have a concept of pornography. Their art simply reflects scenes from daily life, some more sexual than others. Carved [[phallus|phalli]] can be seen in places of worship such as the temple of [[Dionysus]] on [[Delos]], while a common household item and protective charm was the [[herma|herm]], a statue consisting of a head on a square plinth with a prominent phallus on the front. The Greek male ideal had a [[small penis]], an aesthetic the Romans later adopted. The Greeks also created the first well-known instance of [[lesbianism in erotica|lesbian eroticism]] in the West, with [[Sappho]]'s ''[[Hymn to Aphrodite]]'' and other [[homoeroticism|homoerotic]] works. | + | :"Here the [[euphonious]] effect and the grace of the language arise from the [[coherence]] and smoothness of the [[juncture]]s. The words nestle close to one another and are woven together according to certain affinities and natural attractions of the letters." |
| - | ==Literature== | + | |
| - | :''[[Lysistrata]]'' | + | ==English== |
| + | translated by [[Edwin Marion Cox]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | :Shimmering-throned immortal Aphrodite, | ||
| + | :Daughter of Zeus, Enchantress, I implore thee, | ||
| + | :Spare me, O queen, this agony and anguish, | ||
| + | :Crush not my spirit. | ||
| + | |||
| + | :Whenever before thou has hearkened to me— | ||
| + | :To my voice calling to thee in the distance, | ||
| + | :And heeding, thou hast come, leaving thy father's | ||
| + | :Golden dominions, | ||
| + | |||
| + | :With chariot yoked to thy fleet-winged coursers, | ||
| + | :Fluttering swift pinions over earth's darkness, | ||
| + | :And bringing thee through the infinite, gliding | ||
| + | :Downwards from heaven, | ||
| + | |||
| + | :Then, soon they arrived and thou, blessed goddess, | ||
| + | :With divine contenance smiling, didst ask me | ||
| + | :What new woe had befallen me now and why, | ||
| + | :Thus I had called thee. | ||
| + | |||
| + | :What in my mad heart was my greatest desire, | ||
| + | :Who was it now that must feel my allurements, | ||
| + | :Who was the fair one that must be persuaded, | ||
| + | :Who wronged thee Sappho? | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | :For if now she flees, quickly she shall follow | ||
| + | :And if she spurns gifts, soon shall she offer them | ||
| + | :Yea, if she knows not love, soon shall she feel it | ||
| + | :Even reluctant. | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | :Come then, I pray, grant me surcease from sorrow, | ||
| + | :Drive away care, I beseech thee, O goddess | ||
| + | :Fulfil for me what I yearn to accomplish, | ||
| + | :Be thou my ally. | ||
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Hymn to Aphrodite is a poem by Sappho. It is the only complete poem called "Fragment 1, the Hymn to Aphrodite", quoted in its entirety as a model of the "polished and exuberant" style of composition by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, with admiration of its consummate artistry:
- "Here the euphonious effect and the grace of the language arise from the coherence and smoothness of the junctures. The words nestle close to one another and are woven together according to certain affinities and natural attractions of the letters."
[edit]
English
translated by Edwin Marion Cox
- Shimmering-throned immortal Aphrodite,
- Daughter of Zeus, Enchantress, I implore thee,
- Spare me, O queen, this agony and anguish,
- Crush not my spirit.
- Whenever before thou has hearkened to me—
- To my voice calling to thee in the distance,
- And heeding, thou hast come, leaving thy father's
- Golden dominions,
- With chariot yoked to thy fleet-winged coursers,
- Fluttering swift pinions over earth's darkness,
- And bringing thee through the infinite, gliding
- Downwards from heaven,
- Then, soon they arrived and thou, blessed goddess,
- With divine contenance smiling, didst ask me
- What new woe had befallen me now and why,
- Thus I had called thee.
- What in my mad heart was my greatest desire,
- Who was it now that must feel my allurements,
- Who was the fair one that must be persuaded,
- Who wronged thee Sappho?
- For if now she flees, quickly she shall follow
- And if she spurns gifts, soon shall she offer them
- Yea, if she knows not love, soon shall she feel it
- Even reluctant.
- Come then, I pray, grant me surcease from sorrow,
- Drive away care, I beseech thee, O goddess
- Fulfil for me what I yearn to accomplish,
- Be thou my ally.
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Hymn to Aphrodite" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
