How Homeric poetry may help us achieve a keener appreciation of Sappho’s wedding songs

Abstract

Back in the year 2013, which was the original publication date for my book The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours (hereafter H24H), I took the risk of drastically expanding one of the 24 “Hours,” making it twice as long as the other 23 “Hours”. What made that one hour—Hour 5—really more like two hours in length is that I added to the part where I was analyzing passages selected from the Homeric Iliad another part where I analyzed passages selected from the songs of Sappho. Actually, the part about Sappho was not an addition: rather, I inserted it in the middle of analyzing the part about the Iliad. I had a good reason for doing this, since I thought then, and I still think now, that a reading of selections from Sappho’s surviving songs helps achieve a better understanding of Homeric poetry. But I also think, conversely, that Homer helps achieve a better understanding of Sappho. In this brief essay, then, I propose to turn inside-out my original project, where I analyzed Homeric poetry by way of comparing it with what I know about Sappho’s songs. That is, I will reconsider one of Sappho’s most celebrated songs by way of comparing it, however briefly, with what I know about Homeric poetry. More specifically, I will concentrate on the Homeric gesture of picturing the hero Achilles as an eternal bridegroom. This Homeric gesture, I will argue, helps us appreciate more keenly what I call the wedding songs of Sappho.