“Hymn to Aphrodite” is the only one of Sappho’s poems that remains complete today. In the poem the speaker, perhaps Sappho herself, implores the goddess Aphrodite to listen to her wishes. Speaking often in the third person, Sappho first explains to Aphrodite that she is a loyal priestess by describing bits of Aphrodite’s life.  She goes on to explain that the love she has for one person is unrequited, and that the torment caused by this is killing her.  Sappho begs Aphrodite to lend her aid and force the person to fall in love with her.  Because of the confusion created when translating ancient Greek, it is difficult to tell if the events the narrator of the poem has described have already taken place, or are yet to be.  It is also difficult at times to tell who the speaker is, although it is safe to assume that for the majority of the poem, it is Sappho herself.  At one point, however, it seems that Aphrodite is speaking in response to Sappho’s request, but again because of translation it is not clear.
         I did not only choose to review this poem because of its literary value as the only complete surviving poetry of the artist, but also because I thoroughly enjoyed the poem.  When I first read the poem, I was momentarily confused, but upon reading additional translations, I became more aware of the message Sappho was trying to convey. As I thought about the message, I concentrated less and less on the many translations of the work, realizing that while some were more confusing, they were all talking about the same thing: the classic tragedy of unrequited love.  My favorite part of the poem is in the last stanza, where Sappho asks Aphrodite to stand as her comrade in battle.  This request of course speaks of the battle of love, and Aphrodite, being the goddess of love, would obviously be an apt warrior in this battle. I cannot honestly say that I do not have a least favorite part of this poem.  The words speak so beautifully themselves I could not think of an appropriate way to change them.  However this may be, there is one question in my mind that plagues me.  In the translation I have chosen to work with, the first stanza begins, “Iridescent-throned Aphrodite,” implying that the throne is heavily adorned, or colorful.  When I read notes about the translation, however, I was disturbed to find that while the Greek word for “lavish throne” (philicoTHRON) is a commonly accepted translation, the Greek word for “colorful mind” (philicoPHRON) is equally as accepted a translation.  Personally, I think that saying Aphrodite has a colorful mind is much more poetic than saying she has an iridescent throne.  I suppose if I could change one thing about the work I would make that matter more clear.  It saddens me to know that scholars will never be clear on the matter of which of the two meanings Sappho intended.
         I would recommend this and any of Sappho’s poems. While it may take time to read different translations and figure out the meanings of words in ancient texts, the incentive of learning and enjoying these poems is ever-present.  While Sappho’s works may at sometimes seem complex and confusing to certain people, poets and poetasters alike would benefit from contemplation of this work.  Though not a huge fan of Greek-Roman literature and poetry, I found “Hymn to Aphrodite” to be beautiful and thought-provoking.

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