Of Beauty and Aphrodite
sannion recently asked for tokens of beauty as part of a month-long devotion to Aphrodite and Hathor. I dunno much about Hathor, but when I think of Aphrodite, one of the first things that comes to my mind is usually a particular Sappho fragment. I posted it for him, and then I offered some additional points for him to contemplate since he’s the kinda guy who’s likely to appreciate that sort of thing.
I’m re-posting my reply here in my own journal, partially for my own reference and partially in the hope that someone else might find it useful someday.
οἰ μὲν ἰππήων στρότον οἰ δὲ πέσδων
οἰ δὲ νάων φαῖσ’ ἐπὶ γᾶν μέλαιναν
ἔμμεναι κάλλιστον, ἔγω δὲ κῆν’ ὄτ‐
τω τις ἔραται
Some say a host of cavalry, some say of infantry,
Some say a fleet of ships, of all things on the black earth
is the most beautiful. I say it is
whatsoever a person loves.
-Sappho (fragment)
There’s a bit more before it goes to fragments. She gives the example of Helen leaving her husband, the best of all men, forsaking her child and her parents, to go to Troy after the particular “whatsoever” that she desired.
Bonus points for contemplating:
1) the relationship between κάλλιστον, traditionally translated as “most beautiful;” and καλός, with its meanings ranging from beautiful to noble, auspicious and virtuous. In fact, bonus points for contemplating this even outside the context of this fragment.
2) the relationship between love and desire, exemplified here by the use of the word ἔραται, typically translated as “love” but with strong overtones of lust or longing and in some contexts even great nonsexual desire.
3) the relationship between Aphrodite’s sexual lust and the bloodlust of her lover Ares. Juxtapositions of love/desire/ἔρος with implements of war present themselves in several well-known Sappho fragments.
Appreciation of beauty is a fine, reserved, and cultured way to look at Aphrodite. One other side (and there are still many others) is to ask yourself what would drive you across the world leaving caution to the wind and epic war in your wake, inspired by Aphrodite’s gift of love or lust or desire. That thing is the most beautiful, greatest, most powerful, and perhaps noblest thing in the world, and thank Kypris in all her glory for it every day.
I’m re-posting my reply here in my own journal, partially for my own reference and partially in the hope that someone else might find it useful someday.
οἰ μὲν ἰππήων στρότον οἰ δὲ πέσδων
οἰ δὲ νάων φαῖσ’ ἐπὶ γᾶν μέλαιναν
ἔμμεναι κάλλιστον, ἔγω δὲ κῆν’ ὄτ‐
τω τις ἔραται
Some say a host of cavalry, some say of infantry,
Some say a fleet of ships, of all things on the black earth
is the most beautiful. I say it is
whatsoever a person loves.
-Sappho (fragment)
There’s a bit more before it goes to fragments. She gives the example of Helen leaving her husband, the best of all men, forsaking her child and her parents, to go to Troy after the particular “whatsoever” that she desired.
Bonus points for contemplating:
1) the relationship between κάλλιστον, traditionally translated as “most beautiful;” and καλός, with its meanings ranging from beautiful to noble, auspicious and virtuous. In fact, bonus points for contemplating this even outside the context of this fragment.
2) the relationship between love and desire, exemplified here by the use of the word ἔραται, typically translated as “love” but with strong overtones of lust or longing and in some contexts even great nonsexual desire.
3) the relationship between Aphrodite’s sexual lust and the bloodlust of her lover Ares. Juxtapositions of love/desire/ἔρος with implements of war present themselves in several well-known Sappho fragments.
Appreciation of beauty is a fine, reserved, and cultured way to look at Aphrodite. One other side (and there are still many others) is to ask yourself what would drive you across the world leaving caution to the wind and epic war in your wake, inspired by Aphrodite’s gift of love or lust or desire. That thing is the most beautiful, greatest, most powerful, and perhaps noblest thing in the world, and thank Kypris in all her glory for it every day.