The Greek Island of Lesbos and the Origin of the Word “Lesbian”

Sappho and Erinna successful a Garden astatine Mytilene by Simeon Solomon,1864 Credit: Simeon Solomon / Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

Modern English, and so galore languages, get a plethora of words from ancient Greek. One peculiarly absorbing connection is “lesbian”, contiguous utilized to picture a homosexual pistillate who is attracted to different women, but the basal of the connection is tied to the Greek land of Lesbos.

“Lesbian” is simply a demonym for the inhabitants of Lesbos, besides spelled arsenic Lesvos, truthful wherefore does it contiguous picture pistillate homosexuality? The reply is bound to the estimation of the land itself and the written enactment of an past Greek writer named Sappho.

The past Greeks themselves would person been confused by the word arsenic it is utilized contiguous since sexuality successful Classical Greece and elsewhere successful the past satellite was conceived otherwise and typically had much to bash with one’s romanticist relation than gender. To reply our question, we indispensable truthful analyse however connection has evolved implicit time.

The etymology of “lesbian” and its nexus to Lesbos

Unsurprisingly, the island did not person an above-average colonisation of women who were attracted to the aforesaid enactment successful past times. Rather, the etymology of the connection lesbian is linked to 1 of Lesbos’ astir celebrated inhabitants.

The land was the birthplace of the past Greek poet Sappho, who lived astir the 6th period BC. Sappho was known for her lyrical poems, galore of which person been interpreted arsenic expressing emotion and tendency for different women.

The etymology of the connection “lesbian” is truthful commonly attributed to Sappho herself. The connection “Sapphic” besides refers to feelings of tendency betwixt women.

Further explanation

However, Professor of Classical Studies Kate Gilhuly has suggested a much analyzable explanation.

Gilhuly writes: “Although Sappho’s poesy was good known passim antiquity, her intersexual predisposition is not explicitly defined until centuries aft her death, and erstwhile Lesbos is straight associated with women who emotion different women successful Lucian’s Dialogues of the Courtesans, Sappho is not explicitly named.”

In different words, Sappho was not explicitly identified arsenic a lesbian successful past times, nor is it wholly wide that the relation betwixt Lesbos and same-sex attraction betwixt women began with the ancient Greek poet.

Gilhuly continues, penning that “there is simply a important spread bridged by associating 1 person’s birthplace and her intersexual orientation, and a inactive much important spread betwixt each azygous idiosyncratic from each the cities and villages connected the land of Lesbos and a corporate intersexual orientation.”

Instead, Gilhuly argues that past Athenian perceptions of Lesbos being an land afloat of beauteous but promiscuous women whitethorn besides person contributed to the etymology of the connection “lesbian”. These attitudes were entrenched arsenic stereotypes successful plays and written works by individuals similar the past satirist Lucian.

According to Gilhuly, “a complex, centuries-long collocation of taste conceptions astir the civilization of Lesbos, combined with Athenian comic practice, the practice of the courtesan, and the reception of Sappho, yet paved the mode for the beardown relation of Lesbos with an representation of alternate feminine sexuality.”