Is Love Worth the Risk? – The Songs of Sappho with Martha Kearney
Armand and Jimmy dive into the passionate, mysterious world of Sappho – the iconic lyric poet of archaic Greece, whose fragments of song have echoed across millennia. From fiery expressions of desire to haunting lines of loneliness, they explore how Sappho’s poetry defined love, lyricism, and the female voice in a male-dominated world. Along the way, they unpack why she was called the “10th Muse,” how her songs were exactly that – songs rather than just poems, and how a single line could move an Athenian statesman to tears. Discover how Sappho’s legacy shaped Roman poets like Catullus, inspired modern writers like Anne Carson, and still resonates in today’s age of short-form storytelling and queer expression.
Thank you to Martha Kearney for suggesting this week's topic and the main texts we explored (in order): Sappho’s Fragment 31, Catullus’ Poem 51, Sappho’s Fragment 58, Fragment 16.
Presented by Armand D’Angour and Jimmy Mulville
Produced by Diggory Waite
A Hat Trick Production
For more on the charity Classics For All, who support state schools to introduce or develop the teaching of classical subjects sustainably on the curriculum or as an after school activity, visit www.classicsforall.org.uk
It's All Greek (and Latin) To Me
Want a quick way to know more about Classical Myths and Literature? Join Armand D'Angour (Professor of Classics at Oxford University) and Jimmy Mulville (Comedy Producer, Chairman of charity 'Classics For All' and lifelong classics devotee) as they explore stories and quotes that are familiar through their use in our everyday lives.
Ever said 'Carpe Diem!' or heard about the 'Oedipus Complex'? Ever really thought about where that quote comes from or what the Oedipus Complex really refers to?
Let Armand and Jimmy tell you where these originated, what they actually mean, and who wrote them.
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