If Sappho's poem were read by someone who didn't know who it was by,
it would never occur to them that the man referred to in the first
line is a bridegroom. But since we know it's by Sappho, that
possibility suggests itself because -- why? There's nothing in the
writings of Sappho or any other ancient author to suggest the
possibility. There are, however, things to suggest it in the fantasy
biography manufactured for her by certain modern scholars. The
motives for manufacturing that biography were discreditable, which is
why I think that in this case fantasy isn't harmless.
There is, to be sure, nothing that makes it impossible to believe that
the man in question was a bridegroom, just as there is nothing that
makes it impossible to believe that he was a barber, a baker, or a
bagpipe player. But these latter hypotheses are merely silly,
whereas the equally baseless bridegroom hypothesis is historically
rooted in an attempt to deny the truth. To say, "OK, we'll admit the
truth but keep that hypothesis" raises the question, "Why keep the
hypothesis?", and the answer is that there's no reason at all.
At any rate I feel I've had my say for the present about the poem,
except to repeat that I (and I think most classical scholars would
agree) find Page's refutation of the idea that the poem is actually or
in imagination set at a wedding is conclusive.
There's by the way all kinds evidence that ancient Greek personal,
lyric poetry was typically musically performed in a social setting,
including Sappho frag. 160: "Now I will sing these things beautifully
for the pleasure of my companions." To say that Sappho's poem was
performed for her friends is not at all the same thing as saying it
was publicly performed like a Pindaric ode. Performance doesn't
necessarily mean public performance.
I'm not qualified to speak about the Phaon legend since I've never
really researched it. I suspect though that it would be hard to pin
down its date of origin since if I remember correctly it's mostly
mentioned in late sources which in turn could have been using who
knows how early or late sources.
--
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Jon Corelis www.geocities.com/joncpoetics/
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