Lesbian

   , LESBIANISM, SAPPHISM

   Lesbianism is the practice of homosexuality by females. Nevertheless, the word homosexual refers to one who engages in sexual acts with a person of the same sex, whether man or woman. But males engaged in lovemaking with males have only one designation — homosexuals. On the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea during the earlier half of the sixth century lived the Greek poet Sappho. She became the leader of a group of women whose behavior was characterized by strong homosexual feelings. Hence from the name given this manifestation we have sapphism, an eponymous derivative from her name, and lesbianism, an eponymous derivative from her birthplace.

   Sappho (620-565 B.C.) was born at Mytilene or Eresus on the island of Lesbos. According to Ovid, the outstanding Roman poet, Sappho's father died when she was only six years old. It is believed that she married and had a daughter (some say a son). In any event, Sappho, the most famous female poet of her time, wrote her poems on Lesbos and gathered women there to teach them the art of poetry. Whether her followers engaged in sexual love has never been proved any more than that her followers of today are interested in poetry. Sappho's passionate lyrics, especially the poem in which she pleaded with Aphrodite to help her arouse ardor in a certain woman, have given fodder to those convinced of her homosexuality. But only fragments of her vibrant poems have survived, some in mere scraps.