According to British media, two poems attributed to the ancient Greek lyrical poet Sappho have been discovered in a private collection in London. One of the two poems appears to be hymn to the ancient Greek goddess of love Aphrodite, while the other refers to Charaxos and Larichos.
The poems came to the attention f Oxford University papyrologist Dr. Dirk Obbink, who later confirmed the authenticity of the poems. Dr. Obbink has reported that the poems appear to be related to extracts from other poems written by Sappho. The British academic will be publishing a study on the poems in German scientific journal Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik in spring.
According to various historical accounts and references, Charaxos and Larichos were two of Sappho’s brothers. In the poem with Charaxos, whose existence was disputed since he was never referenced in any of the previously discovered poems attributed to Sappho, the poet tells of her brother’s escapades with a slave and migrating to Egypt without his legal wife.
Sappho, who was born on Lesvos in 630 B.C., is considered the most important lyrical poets of antiquity. Plato considered Sappho to be “the tenth Muse”, Anakreon stated she “sang sweetly” and Horatio boldly stated that even the dead in the underworld listen to her songs with wonder in holy silence.
