Greco-Roman Philosophy
Greco-Roman philosophy refers to the ideologies created by various lyricists, writers, mathematicians, thinkers, etc. that were created in ancient Greece and Rome (roughly around 700-200BCE). Some of the philosophers include Sappho, Aristotle, Sophocles, Socrates, Plato, Homer, Pericles, and Euripides. They gathered together for educational talk, to educate themselves and others. In those meetings, they talked about differenct issues or factors that are part of their society. They all didn't believe the same; they all stood different on various view points. As an example, Sappho was one of the poets who participated, as a female, in the "educational talk".
Sappho
Sappho was born around 630BC on the island of Lesbos, a Greek island in the northeastern Aegean Sea. She was one of the very few female poets and lyricists that became famous for her work. Sappho was an aristocrat who married a wealthy merchant, and through this wealth she was able to live life in the way she chose. She ended up studying art in Lesbos. Her fame is derived from her innovations in poetry. Poetry formerly was mainly for religious purposes or told in the perspective of gods, but Sappho wrote from individual and autobiographical perspectives on topics such as life as a Greek woman, marriage, and love. Many of her poems direct her love to females, which is why she is thought to be a homosexual. We derive the words sapphic and lesbian from Sappho and the island of Lesbos. In the 3rd century BC, her poetry was compiled into nine books and published. Currently we only have bits of her poetry out of the numerous poems she wrote, and only about two complete poems. She is thought to have died around 570 BC.
Quotes:
“Some say the muses are nine - how careless - behold, Sappho of Lesbos is the tenth”. ~Plato
“You may forget but let me tell you this: someone in some future time will think of us.” ~Sappho
“Once again love drives me on, that loosener of limbs, bittersweet creature against which nothing can be done.” ~Sappho
“Although only breath, words which I command are immortal.” ~Sappho
“I can reveal to you that I wished to die -
For with much weeping she left me
Saying: "Sappho - what suffering is ours!
For it is against my will that I leave you."
In answer, I said: "Go, happily remembering me
For you know what we shared and pursued -
If not, I wish you to see again our [ former joys ] .....
The many braids of rose and violet you [ wreathed ]
Around yourself at my side
And the many garlands of flowers
With which you adorned your soft neck:
With royal oils from [ fresh flowers ]
You anointed [ yourself ]
And on soft beds fulfilled your longing
[ For me ] ....”
~Sappho
“What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful.”~Sappho
“Death must be an Evil - and the gods agree; for why else would they live for ever?”~Sappho
“When anger spreads through the breath, guard thy tongue from barking idly”~Sappho
"Beauty endures only for as long as it can be seen; goodness, beautiful today, will remain so tomorrow." ~Sappho
“Love is a cunning weaver of fantasies and fables.” ~Sappho
Quotes:
“Some say the muses are nine - how careless - behold, Sappho of Lesbos is the tenth”. ~Plato
“You may forget but let me tell you this: someone in some future time will think of us.” ~Sappho
“Once again love drives me on, that loosener of limbs, bittersweet creature against which nothing can be done.” ~Sappho
“Although only breath, words which I command are immortal.” ~Sappho
“I can reveal to you that I wished to die -
For with much weeping she left me
Saying: "Sappho - what suffering is ours!
For it is against my will that I leave you."
In answer, I said: "Go, happily remembering me
For you know what we shared and pursued -
If not, I wish you to see again our [ former joys ] .....
The many braids of rose and violet you [ wreathed ]
Around yourself at my side
And the many garlands of flowers
With which you adorned your soft neck:
With royal oils from [ fresh flowers ]
You anointed [ yourself ]
And on soft beds fulfilled your longing
[ For me ] ....”
~Sappho
“What is beautiful is good, and who is good will soon be beautiful.”~Sappho
“Death must be an Evil - and the gods agree; for why else would they live for ever?”~Sappho
“When anger spreads through the breath, guard thy tongue from barking idly”~Sappho
"Beauty endures only for as long as it can be seen; goodness, beautiful today, will remain so tomorrow." ~Sappho
“Love is a cunning weaver of fantasies and fables.” ~Sappho
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western Philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary Aristophanes. Many would claim that Plato's dialogues are the most comprehensive accounts of Socrates to survive from antiquity