Helen, Central to Two of the Greatest Poems of Ancient Greece (Sappho, fr. 16)

Great Comment & VITAL to our stories on Linear B, Knossos & Mycenae too! Richard

SENTENTIAE ANTIQUAE

Homer, Herodotus and Ovid aren’t so kind to Helen. Sappho shows a little understanding:

Some say a force of horsemen, some say infantry
and others say a fleet of ships is the loveliest
thing on the dark earth, but I say it is
the one you love

It is altogether simple to make this understood
since she whose beauty outmatched all,
Helen, left her husband
a most noble man

And went sailing to Troy
Without a thought for her child and dear parents
[Love] made her completely insane
And led her astray

This reminds me of absent Anactoria

I would rather watch her lovely walk
and see the shining light of her face
than Lydian chariots followed by
infantrymen in arms

Οἰ μὲν ἰππήων στρότον, οἰ δὲ πέσδων, οἰ δὲ νάων φαῖσ’ ἐπὶ γᾶν μέλαιναν ἔμμεναι κάλλιστον, ἐγὼ δὲ κῆν’ ὄτ- τω τις ἔραται πά]γχυ δ’ εὔμαρες σύνετον πόησαι…

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