Gender, love and sex: What can we learn from the ancient Greek poet Sappho? | BBC Ideas

00:04:02
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwwNow19bsA

摘要

TLDRThe video explores gender identity and fluidity by examining the works of Sappho, a poet from the 6th century BC. Sappho's poetry, originating from the island of Lesbos, is highlighted as profoundly impactful, especially in interpreting gender and love. Her works challenge the rigid boundaries of gender by presenting gender-fluid and non-binary themes. In ancient Greece, same-sex relationships were common and viewed as normal, fostering an environment where Sappho’s themes were likely accepted. The video proposes that Sappho would celebrate today's open identities, suggesting listeners focus less on labels and more on universal love.

心得

  • 🌈 Sappho's work highlights gender fluidity, focusing on love beyond gender.
  • 📜 Origin of 'lesbian' stems from Sappho's home, the island of Lesbos.
  • ❤️ Her poetry challenges traditional views, emphasizing universal love.
  • 🔍 Sappho's poetry evokes questions about the speaker's gender and beloved identity.
  • 🧐 In ancient Greece, same-sex attractions were commonly accepted.
  • 🖋 Translators often misinterpreted Sappho's intent to reflect their times.
  • 🎭 Sappho invites readers to reflect on experiences beyond their gender.
  • 🪶 Her depiction in ancient art shows her significance and acceptance.
  • 🚀 Sappho encourages moving beyond labels, embracing love for its essence.
  • ✨ Her works remain relevant, highlighting timeless themes of love and identity.

时间轴

  • 00:00:00 - 00:04:02

    The discussion begins with the contemporary interest in gender identity and fluidity, noting societal progress like legalizing gay marriage and the shifting views on gender beyond biological definitions. The poet Sappho, from the 6th century BC, is introduced as a historical reference for exploring gender and sexuality. Known for her work on the Greek island of Lesbos, Sappho's poetry has led to terms like 'lesbian'. Her experiences challenge how gender and sexuality are perceived, given the societal norms of her time which accepted homosexual relationships without scandal. Her surviving poetry questions and transcends traditional gender roles and labels, promoting gender fluidity and focusing on universal themes of love and desire, regardless of gender. This reflects the message that love matters more than societal labels.

思维导图

Mind Map

常见问题

  • Who was Sappho?

    Sappho was a poet from the 6th century BC, known for her work on love and sexuality.

  • What does the term 'lesbian' originally mean?

    Originally, 'lesbian' referred to someone from the Greek island of Lesbos, where Sappho lived.

  • How does Sappho’s poetry relate to gender identity?

    Sappho's poetry transcends traditional gender roles, encouraging a fluid approach to love and identity.

  • Did Sappho identify as a lesbian?

    While we can't be certain, Sappho's work suggests a fluid understanding of gender and attraction.

  • What makes Sappho’s poems unique?

    Her poems challenge traditional gender roles and explore themes of sex and love in a non-binary way.

  • How did ancient society view Sappho’s themes of sexuality?

    In ancient Greece, homosexual feelings were normalized, and her themes would not have caused scandal.

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  • 00:00:01
    Gender identity, gender fluidity...
  • 00:00:04
    Gender is on everyone's lips right now.
  • 00:00:07
    We've seen some profound changes - like the legalisation of gay marriage
  • 00:00:12
    in many countries and a more open approach to sexuality.
  • 00:00:16
    And we're grappling as a society
  • 00:00:18
    with the idea that gender is not purely biological.
  • 00:00:22
    But is this really so new?
  • 00:00:25
    We could learn a lot from the poet Sappho,
  • 00:00:28
    who lived in the 6th century BC on the Greek island of Lesbos.
  • 00:00:32
    It's because of her that we use the word "lesbian"
  • 00:00:35
    which originally just meant "someone from Lesbos".
  • 00:00:38
    "Sweet mother, I cannot weave -
  • 00:00:41
    slender Aphrodite has overcome me with longing for a girl."
  • 00:00:46
    Her poetry made her famous in antiquity.
  • 00:00:49
    But the ways in which she and her work have been treated
  • 00:00:52
    show only too well what it is to be judged and labelled.
  • 00:00:56
    If Sappho were alive now,
  • 00:00:57
    would she identify as a lesbian woman?
  • 00:01:00
    Would she celebrate the freedom of identity choice?
  • 00:01:03
    What would she think of our debates about gender?
  • 00:01:06
    Answering these questions is a challenge
  • 00:01:08
    because much of Sappho's work is lost.
  • 00:01:11
    But the little we have is remarkable.
  • 00:01:13
    In her day, it made her one of the few women to be pictured on pottery -
  • 00:01:17
    the ancient Greek equivalent of appearing on primetime TV.
  • 00:01:21
    We can't know for sure whether she had sexual relationships with women
  • 00:01:24
    and, if so, whether she was open about them.
  • 00:01:27
    But in ancient Greece, it would have been no cause for scandal.
  • 00:01:31
    Although men and women were expected to marry,
  • 00:01:33
    homosexual feelings and relationships were seen as normal.
  • 00:01:38
    So, all we have to go on is the poems themselves.
  • 00:01:41
    Sex and sexuality is everywhere here.
  • 00:02:05
    Sappho's poems play with our expectations of gender
  • 00:02:09
    and set up teasing questions about sexuality.
  • 00:02:12
    Who is speaking? Male or female?
  • 00:02:15
    Who is the beloved? Male or female?
  • 00:02:19
    One of her best known poems
  • 00:02:20
    is spoken by someone looking at a beautiful girl,
  • 00:02:23
    and envying the man talking to her.
  • 00:02:26
    "That man seems to me to be equal to the gods.
  • 00:02:29
    He who sits opposite you and hears you nearby
  • 00:02:32
    speaking sweetly and laughing delightfully,
  • 00:02:35
    which indeed makes my heart beat faster."
  • 00:02:39
    Translators from the 15th Century on have assumed that the speaker,
  • 00:02:42
    the person who desires the beautiful girl, is another man.
  • 00:02:46
    But in the original there's a big hint that this isn't so.
  • 00:02:50
    There's a line...
  • 00:02:56
    The word "chlorotera" in the Greek
  • 00:02:58
    is the form you would use if it were a woman speaking.
  • 00:03:02
    Sappho wanted her poetry to make people think about experiences
  • 00:03:05
    that are transgender, or that transcend gender.
  • 00:03:09
    She wanted them to imagine the feelings of a gender to which
  • 00:03:12
    you do not, or may not, belong.
  • 00:03:15
    Sappho's poems on her most important subjects - sex and love -
  • 00:03:19
    are about everyone.
  • 00:03:22
    They are gender fluid,
  • 00:03:23
    and they are gender blind.
  • 00:03:25
    Sappho does not care who we love.
  • 00:03:27
    It is still love.
  • 00:03:29
    So, she might tell us,
  • 00:03:31
    "Don't worry about labels. Just get on, and..."
  • 00:03:35
    After all - she did write…
  • 00:03:38
    "Some say an army of horsemen,
  • 00:03:40
    others say foot soldiers,
  • 00:03:42
    still others say a fleet of ships
  • 00:03:44
    is the finest thing on the dark earth.
  • 00:03:47
    I say it is whatever one loves."
  • 00:03:55
    Thanks for watching. Don’t forget to subscribe! :)
标签
  • Sappho
  • gender identity
  • gender fluidity
  • love
  • sexuality
  • ancient Greece
  • lesbian
  • poetry