As this article points out, historians of sexuality put a lot of weight on the depiction of women-loving-women in Lucian's Dialogues of the Courtesans #5, simply because of the scarcity of references to female homoeroticism in the classical era. But Lucian's fictional episode can't be read as a realistic description of anything and must be interpreted through multiple layers of context, symbolism, and cross-reference. These can make it even more valuable as a piece of data, but much more difficult to read as a mirror of historic f/f sexuality.
LHMP
Blog entry
We know, in the long term, that Sappho left a reputation as a poet. And much of what we have of her work is because it was quoted and cited by other authors--primarily male authors. But in Nossis we have evidence that other women poets of ancient Greece not only considered her great, but found her an inspiration for their own work.
When an article is primarily about the later reception of a historic figure, often it isn't that relevant to the Project. But when that "later" falls solidly in our scope, and the "reception" is concerned with the historic figure's queerness, then the discussion is solidly relevant, as in this article.
I always love articles like this that dissect in detail the evidence for largely unanswerable questions, yet still come to conclusions (even if ones that other scholars might dispute).
It is not at all surprising that there is a vast academic industry of Sappho studies. In the past I’ve covered a number of excellent, detailed publications that speak directly to the historic and social context of Sappho’s life and work, especially as it speaks to female same-sex relations. (Or to the reception of her life and work in other eras.) So I’ve gotten past the point of trying to include every Sappho publication I run across in someone’s bibliography, unless it looks like it might add to my existing coverage.
I found this a compelling analysis (though perhaps it was simply the goddess compelling me?)
Continuing with some articles on ancient Greek topics, this one offers some entirely different interpretations of Anacreon's disinterested Lesbian.
Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast - Episode 326 - Speculative Fiction and Sapphic Plots - transcript
(Originally aired 2025/10/18 - listen here)
Researching queer history involves embracing ambiguity, but ambiguity is present on many levels with many different purposes. This article, though otherwise somewhat tangential, is a useful exercise in recognizing that.
Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast - Episode 325 - On the Shelf for October 2025 - Transcript
(Originally aired 2025/10/04 - listen here)
Welcome to On the Shelf for October 2025.
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