Sappho and Alcaeus: An Introduction to the Study of Ancient Lesbian Poetry

Since the hardbound edition of Sappho and Alcaeus was first published in 1955 other fragments of the two poets have come to light (many of which have been printed in Sir Denys Page's Supplementum Lyricis Graecis). But the book is still of great value for the study of Lesbian poetry since it contains not only texts of most of the longer and more informative pieces, but also translations, commentaries, and explanatory essays. The primary purpose is to determine what may be said with reasonable certainty about the lives and literary achievements of the two poets, and to show how much they contribute to our understanding of the social and political conditions of the time.