Sappho
Sappho was the historical poet of Lesbos whose life became so encrusted with legend — especially her alleged leap from the Leucadian cliff — that she exists at the boundary of myth and history.
The Legend of Sappho
The greatest lyric poet of antiquity, Sappho led a thiasos for young women on Lesbos. Ancient legend — likely apocryphal — held that she loved the beautiful boatman Phaon and, when rejected, leapt from the Leucadian cliff sacred to Apollo. Her poetry invoked Aphrodite directly, and she was called the tenth Muse by Plato. Her connection to myth runs through her invocations: Aphrodite's chariot drawn by sparrows, Eros as a bitter-sweet force, and Helen's choice of Paris over Menelaus as proof that love conquers duty. Artemis, the Graces, and Hermes figure in her fragments alongside the gods of Olympus.
Parents
Scamandronymus and Cleis
Children
Cleis (daughter)
Symbols
Fun Fact
Sappho gave English two words for female love — "sapphic" from her name and "lesbian" from her island. Both come from her poetry.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
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🗡 heroNobility, Adoption, Courage
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🗡 heroMother of Heracles
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Butes
🗡 heroBeekeeping, Resistance, Sirens
Argonaut and Athenian hero who alone leaped toward the Sirens and was saved by Aphrodite.
Heracles
🗡 heroGreatest of all Greek heroes
The son of Zeus and Alcmene who performed twelve impossible labours and was the only hero to achieve full godhood after death.
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🗡 heroLove, royalty, Troy
Trojan prince beloved by Aphrodite and father of Aeneas, the legendary founder of Rome
Amphissa
🗡 heroLove, tragedy
Daughter of Macareus who was beloved by Apollo and gave her name to the city of Amphissa in Locris
Jason
🗡 heroLeader of the Argonauts
The hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis to retrieve the Golden Fleece, aided by Medea's sorcery.
Jason
🗡 heroLeader of the Argonauts, seeker of the Golden Fleece
The hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis in quest of the Golden Fleece. Jason's story is one of ambition, adventure, and tragic betrayal.