Sappho Fr. 16: love and war

• Autores: Loukas Papadimitropoulos
• Localización: Classical journal, ISSN 0009-8353, Vol. 112, Nº 2, 2016-2017, págs. 129-138
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • This poem merges love and war. The mythical exemplum subtly alludes to the Trojan War and the gnome insinuates that what one loves collides with his better judgment, as it diverges from the feeling of safety desired by most people. These two parts clarify Sappho's personal definition of beauty: love which transgresses social norms and is thus doomed to be only temporary has the capacity to carry away someone into wishes that they know are against the sense of sophrosyne; but that is precisely what gives life its special brightness, as there is no safety in the real world.