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Which Was Sappho’s Best-Known Poem in Antiquity?

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

Abstract

This article considers the propositions, recently advanced in this journal, that Sappho fr. 1 was “the most widely quoted poem by the Lesbian poets in antiquity, and by far Sappho’s best-known work”. Arguing that the evidence tells against both these claims, the article compares fr. 1 with two other well attested works by Sappho. It builds a nuanced picture of their relative popularity, drawing on all the available evidence, before by way of conclusion bringing two poems by Alcaeus into the mix.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages18
JournalMnemosyne
Early online date4 Mar 2026
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 4 Mar 2026

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Patrick J. Finglass, 2026.

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