Private London Collection Reveals Two Unknown Poems by Sappho

A second century CE Sappho papyrus showing the end of the 1st book of her poems (credit: Wikipedia)

According to British media, two poems attributed to the ancient Greek lyrical poet Sappho were discovered in a private collection in London. The reports in the media said that one of the poems appears to be hymn to the Greek goddess of love Aphrodite, while the other refers to Charaxos and Larichos.

The poems caught the attention of Oxford University papyrologist Dr. Dirk Obbink, who later confirmed their authenticity. He has apparently said that they appear to be related to extracts from poems that were written by Sappho. It was also announced that he would is going to publish a study on these poems this coming Spring in the German scientific journal Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik.

Charaxos and Larichos were two of Sappho’s brothers. In the poem with Charaxos, whose existence was disputed since he was never referenced in any of the previously discovered poems attributed to Sappho, the poet speaks of her brother’s escapades with a slave while migrating to Egypt without his nominal wife.

Sappho, who was born on Lesvos in 630 B.C., is perceived as being one of the most important lyrical poets of antiquity. Plato described her as “the tenth Muse”, while Anakreon had said that she “sang sweetly” and Horatio had stressed that even the dead in the underworld listen to her songs with wonder.