article for December 20, 2019

Article of the day for December 20, 2019 is Brothers Poem.
The Brothers Poem is a work by the archaic Greek poet Sappho (bust pictured, c. 630 – c. 530 BC) that had been lost since antiquity until it was rediscovered in 2014. Most of its text survives, apart from its opening lines. Known only from papyrus fragments, it mentions two of Sappho's brothers, Charaxos and Larichos. This is the only known mention of their names in Sappho's writings, though they are known from other sources. These references, and aspects of language and style, have been used to establish her authorship. The poem is structured as an address – possibly by Sappho herself – to an unknown person. The speaker chastises the addressee for saying repeatedly that Charaxos will return (possibly from a trading voyage), maintaining that his safety is in the hands of the gods and offering to pray to Hera for his return. The narrative then switches focus from Charaxos to Larichos, who the speaker hopes will relieve the family from their troubles when he becomes a man.