Sappho's Gift: The Poet and Her Community by Franco Ferrari, Benjamin Acosta-Hughes, Lucia Prauscello

Abstract

BOOK REVIEWS/COMPTESRENDUS 405 theconsistency ofthe characterization isinfact a legitimate part ofthecharacter brought onbytheextreme situation inwhich that character isplaced.Thisencourages readers toview Euripides' characters notasvehicles through which rhetoric isdisplayed, butas deliberate andconsistent constructs for whom rhetorical ability isanintegral aspect. Chapters Seven ("Women") andEight ("Euripidean MalesandtheLimits ofAutonomy ") aredifferent sides tothesame coin, andthemasculine follow-up tothefar more widely discussed question ofwomen inEuripides is a welcome addition toEuripidean scholarship. Likehisapproach toevery topic covered inthis book, Mastronarde's discussionofwomen highlights what heseesasEuripides' challenge totheaudience bymeans ofunsettling their familiar assumptions. There is nothing groundbreaking inthis.Of greater interest isthe juxtaposition ofhisdiscussion ofwomen with that ofmen, where henotonly discusses themen asdistinct character types butalsohowmen influence the behaviour ofwomen: "through blindness ormisjudgments, males often create thecrisis inwhich, onthedayrepresented intheplay, females arecompelled toreact inchallenginganddangerous ways" (306).Thislink between male andfemale behaviour forces the reader tore-evalüate thenotion ofthewildorinherently transgressive woman, opening a path for a much more nuanced discussion oftherelationship between thesexes. Overall, there isagreat sense offreedom inMastronarde's approach: hisunwillingness todeclare the correct wayofinterpreting Euripides feels almost liberating, while atthe same time hedoes not fall into the trap ofdeclaring that uncertainty isthe only interpretive approach. Mastronarde acknowledges theimportance ofdifferent voices inhelping to piecetogether anopen-minded andvariable reading ofEuripides. Indeed, oneofthe most compelling points that runs throughout isEuripides' challenge tohisaudience not tocome toonecohesive conclusion about what they have seen but tocritically re-evaluate their familiar assumptions about genre andthe various themes andtopics presented inthe tragedies. Thisis nottocreate confusion, buttoencourage a complex contemplation. This,in every chapter, supports Mastronarde's fundamental point aboutgenre:that Euripides is creatively exploring theelasticity ofthetragic genre, andthereby inviting hisaudience members to think beyond whatmay be customary orevencomfortable. Mastronarde inturn challenges ownreading audience tore-evaluate their assumptions ofEuripidean tragedy. McMasterUniversity Kathryn Mattison Sappho's Gift:ThePoetandHerCommunity. ByFrancoFerrari.Translated by Benjamin Acosta-Hughes andLucia Prauscello. AnnArbor: University of Michigan Press. 2010.Pp.vi,226. Ferrari'sbook,originally published inItalian in2007andtranslated here clearly and elegantly, combines anattempt toplace Sappho ina specific social, political, andreligious context with special attention to someofthemore fragmentary papyri, including his readings andreconstructions. Theselastareamong themost interesting parts ofthe book, butthetwotracks arethoroughly imbricated because hisview ofSappho's social context guides hisreconstructions ofthefragments. To illustrate, Ferrari (who examined the ostrakon) proposes new readings inSappho. 2 Voigt, which describes a sanctuary towhich Aphrodite isinvited tocome.Mostnotably, inline13 heattractively offers dosm etheloisa andinline16 oinochoaisa[i (infinitive). 406 PHOENIX Thushemakes Sappho, notAphrodite, thepourer, translating (153): "Inthisplace, Cypris, grant ofyour willthat I may delicately pour ingolden cups nectar mingled with festivities." Thenectar willbe Sappho's singing ofherpoetry, andthesetting must be a public festival. There, "[t] hanks toa playofmirroring andreciprocity that, within theprivileged time oftherite, reduces thedivide between mortals andimmortals, the goddess ... supports Sappho inherroleofpoetanddirector oftherite" (155).Ferrari addsa reference toa sanctuary ofAphrodite andHermes found onCrete (from which Aphrodite isasked tocome) that issaidtoillustrate thecontinuity ofcult between the Minoan andMycenaean cultures, andheadduces sealrings showing theepiphany ofa goddess towomen ina tree-filled sanctuary. Bythiscombination oftextual criticism, literary reading, andarchaeology heargues for a concrete occasion andplacefor Sappho 2 Voigt, a theoxeny, butimplies that itisecstatically experienced bythose present. He transfers theatmosphere ofthepoemtothelocation andtakes Sappho's poetry as a recording ofcommunal perception. Ferrari begins hisstudy with thepolitical relations among theeminent families of Lesbos.Sappho heidentifies asa Kleonaktid, which group, hededuces, wasinfavor of contact with Lydia anda luxuriant life style. Ruling outa circle offriends as Sappho's audience onthegrounds that nosuch circles areattested (over-dogmatically, given our exiguous knowledge ofsixth-century Lesbos) Ferrari argues that Sappho wasthedirector ofa school inwhich young women before marriage learned deportment andcultural graces. AllofSappho's poetry wasperformed atpublic festivals, where her students either sangitordanced as shesang.Andromeda andGorgo belonged tothePenthilid and Polyanaktid families respectively andranrival schools that competed with Sappho for students. Sappho wrote invectives against Andromeda for public performance, perhaps atiambic contests. Homosexual attraction wasembraced inthese groups andadded to therivalry, although Ferrari doesnotthink that Sappho's poetry hasanything explicit tosayabout physical coupling. Given themusical context, hetakes theinfamous olisbos as a plectrum - persuasively, tomymind.He argues that pothos in94.23is noteros , andSappho refers tonothing more specific than "the as-yet undefined andaimless sexuality ofadolescence" and"the sensual pleasure ofsleeping together among age-mates" (141). Ferrari's most ambitious reconstruction involves joining three fragments ofP Oxy. 1787(70,75a,and68a)toproduce aninvective...