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Sappho
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Sappho (her name was probably pronounced Psappho) was born around 612 B.C. in the town of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, as was Alcaeus, a contemporary lyric poet who showed a deep respect for Sappho in his poetry. Most likely she was from an aristocratic family; her parents' names are thought to be Skamandronymos and Kleis. She had three brothers: Erigyois, about whom nothing is known; Charaxos, who had business connections and a lover in Egypt; and Larichos, who was involved in government service in Mytilene. Her husband, whom some scholars believe is fictional since he is not mentioned in any of her poetry, was most likely Kerkylas of Andros. Her daughter, who is mentioned in three fragments, is called Kleis, after her maternal grandmother. During the unrest on Lesbos, Sappho sought refuge in Sicily.
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Sappho was born into an aristocratic family, which is reflected in the sophistication of her language and the sometimes rarified environments which her verses record. References to dances, festivals, religious rites, military fleets, parading armies, generals, and ladies of the ancient courts abound in her writings. She speaks of time spent in Lydia, one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries of that time. More specifically, Sappho speaks of her friends and happy times among the ladies of Sardis, capital of Lydia, once the home of Croesus and near the gold-rich lands of King Midas.
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Sappho