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Damophila

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Damophila, also spelled Damophyle (Ancient Greek: Δαμοφύλη; fl. 610-611 BC)[1][2][3] was, according to the second-century AD sophist Philostratus, an ancient Greek poetess and companion of Sappho. She may have been an invention of Philostratus, the only surviving ancient source to mention her.

Biography

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Sappho listening to Alcaeus, on vase, c. 470 BC

She may have been from Pamphylia.[4] She was a companion, intimate, friend, or imitator of Sappho.[5][6][7] Philostratus described her as "skilful".[8]

Following Sappho's example (under whom she had studied at Lesbos, and was called her protégée), she held assemblies to teach young women poetry and music; probably in Pamphylia.[9] She was married to Pamphilus[6][10] or Damophilus, a philosopher.[3]

Existence

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In extant ancient sources, she is only once attested by Philostratus (in Life of Apollonius of Tyana),[11] as such, doubts of her existence have been raised.[1][12][13] It was later suggested that Philostratus got his account of her from David the Syrian (possibly referring to Damis).[14]

Poetry

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Her poetry was in the form of hymns,[10] and often erotic or of the passion love.[15][3] She emulated a hymn by Sappho, directed to the worship of Artemis (sometimes referred to by the Roman equivalent Diana);[4][5] Karl Otfried Müller described it as blending the Æolic and Pamphylic styles.[16] None of her poems have survived.[15]

Legacy

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In 1832, John Curtis used the name for the moth Damophila trifolii.[17] It was later used (alongside names such as Nymphae, Lesbiinae, and Heliantheinae) by Ludwig Reichenbach in 1854 for Damophila Julie;[18] which was renamed Neodamophila.[19][20]

Her name was later used by Pierre Louÿs; being turned into Damophylus, the father of his invented Sapphic contemporary Bilitis.[12]

References

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  1. 1 2 Wissowa, Georg, ed. (1901). "Damophyle (Δαμοφύλη)". Paulys Real-encyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (in German). Vol. Corniscae–Demodoros. Stuttgart: J. B. Metzlerscher Verlag. p. 2079. Damophyle (Δαμοφύλη), Schülerin der Sappho nach Philostr. vit. Apollon. I 30, aus Pamphylien, angeblich Verfasserin der an sapphische Dichtung anklingenden Hymnen auf die Artemis von Perge, Dichterin von ὕμνοι und ἐρωτικά und Haupt eines Thiasos von sangeskundigen Mädchen, wie Sappho. Christ setzt sie missverständlich in die Kaiserzeit (Gr. L. § 112 a. E.). Allerlei Vermutungen bei Flach Gesch. d. gr. Lyrik 511. 522f. Das Zeugnis des Philostratos steht ganz vereinzelt; es stammt wohl aus dem unmittelbar vorher citierten sog. Damis, d. h. aus einem Schwindelbuche des 2. Jhdts. (denn so ist die von Miller o. Bd. II S. 146 offen gelassene Alternative zu entscheiden). Die Persönlichkeit der D. ist also schwerlich historisch. [Crusius.]
  2. ↑ Smith, William, ed. (1849). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 1. pp. 936–937. Damophyle (Δαμοφύλη), a lyric poetess of Pamphylia, was the pupil and companion of Sappho (about 611 b. c.). Like Sappho, she instructed other damsels. She composed erotic poems and hymns. The hymns which were sung to Artemis at Perga were said to have been composed by her after the manner of the Aeolians and Pamphylians. (Philost. Vit. Apollon. i. 80.) [P. S.]
  3. 1 2 3 Adams, Henry Gardiner, ed. (1857). A Cyclopædia of Female Biography (revised ed.). Groombridge and Sons. p. 227. Wife of Damophilus, the Grecian philosopher, was the contemporary, relation, and rival of Sappho. She composed a poem on Diana, and a variety of odes on subjects connected with the passion of love. She is mentioned by Theophilus, in his life of Apollonius Thayneus. She flourished about B.C. 610.
  4. 1 2 Smith, William, ed. (1867). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol. 3. pp. 708–709. Damophila the Pamphylian ... A hymn of hers [Sappho's] to Artemis was imitated by Damophila.
  5. 1 2 Textor, Joannes Ravisius (1541). Officinae Ioannis Ravisii Textoris epitome (in Latin). p. 370. Damophila Græca, uxor Pāphili, socia sapphus poëtriæ, poëmata scripsit amatoria, & Dianæ laudes.
  6. 1 2 Betham, Mary Matilda (1804). "DAMOPHILA, a Greek Poetess, wife of Pamphilus". A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country. Betham and Warde.
  7. ↑ Jobling, James A. (2010). Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm. p. 130.
  8. ↑ Thorsen, Thea S.; Berge, Robert Emil (9 January 2019), Thorsen, Thea S.; Harrison, Stephen (eds.), "Receiving Receptions Received: A New Collection of testimonia Sapphica c.600 bc–ad 1000", Roman Receptions of Sappho, Oxford University Press, p. 0, doi:10.1093/oso/9780198829430.003.0016, ISBN 978-0-19-882943-0, retrieved 23 September 2026{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  9. ↑ Mark, Joshua J. (10 June 2021). "Sappho of Lesbos". World History Encyclopedia.
  10. 1 2 Beeton, Samuel Orchart (1871). Beeton's Classical Dictionary. London: Ward, Lock, and Co. p. 100. Damophila, dā-mǒph'-ǐl-a, a poetess of Lesbos, wife of Pamphilus, was intimate with Sappho, wrote hymns, and taught girls music and poetry.
  11. ↑ Philostratus, Lucius Flavius (1912) [3rd century AD]. The Life of Apollonius of Tyana. Translated by Cornwallis Conybeare, Frederick. Loeb Classical Library. pp. 87–88. After that we turned to another subject, for you did not ask me again about the name of the lady. Well, she is called,—this clever lady is,—Damophyle, and she is said, like Sappho, to have had girl friends and to have composed poems, some of which were love-songs and others hymns. The particular hymn to Artemis was transposed by her, and has been sung by the following of Sappho.
  12. 1 2 Lambert, Cat (23 March 2024). "Forging lesbians: Sappho and The Songs of Bilitis". Classical Receptions Journal. 16 (2): 162–177. doi:10.1093/crj/clad022. ISSN 1759-5134.
  13. ↑ Bowie, Ewen (2021), Kelly, Adrian; Finglass, P. J. (eds.), "Sappho in Imperial Greek Literature", The Cambridge Companion to Sappho, Cambridge Companions to Literature, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 303–319, doi:10.1017/9781316986974.023, ISBN 978-1-107-18905-8, retrieved 23 September 2026{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  14. ↑ Fulgoso, Baptista (1521). De memorabilibus et claris mulieribus : Aliquot diversorum scriptorum opera. Paris: Exædibus Simonis Colinæi. p. 188. De Damophila græca Pamphili uxore, Damophila quoque Sapphi in doctrina comes at que imitatrix: amatorios libros car mine composuit: atque hymnos permultos, quemadmodum Philostratus Dauidis syri relatu scripsit.
  15. 1 2 "Damophyle". Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (in German). 1842. p. 853. Damophila aus Pamphylien, die innige Freundin der Dichterin Sappho, und wie biese, selbst Dichterin. Es werden ihr Gedichte erotischen Inhalts, ein hymnus auf die Diana und Underes biegelegt, von dem sich jedoch nichts erhalten hat; auch soll sie, gleich der Sappho, Jungfrauen zu Schülerinnen gehabt baben. Cf Philostrat. Vit. Apollon I, 30 und vgl. Fabric. Bibl. Gr. II. p138. ed Harl. [B.]
  16. ↑ Müller, Karl Otfried (1847). History of the Literature of Ancient Greece. Translated by Lewis, George Cornewall. London: Robert Baldwin. p. 180. A friend of hers, Damophila the Pamphylian, composed a hymn on the worship of the Pergæan Artemis (which was solemnized in her native land after the Asiatic fashion); in this the Æolic style was blended with the peculiarities of the Pamphylian manner*.
  17. ↑ Curtis, John (1832). "391 Damophila Trifolii". British Entomology. Vol. 6. London.
  18. ↑ Reichenbach, Ludwig (1854). Aufzählung der Colibris Oder Trochilideen in ihrer wahren natürlichen Verwandtschaft, nebst Schlüssel ihrer Synonymik (in German). pp. 6–9.
  19. ↑ Özdikmen, Hüseyin (January 2008). "Neodamophila nom. nov., a replacement name for the bird genus Damophila Reichenbach, 1854 (Aves: Apodiformes: Trochilidae)" (PDF). Munis Entomology and Zoology Journal. 3 (1).
  20. ↑ "Trochilidae, Kolibris Neodamophila Özdikmen, 2008". Vogelwart: Zeitschrift für Vogelkunde. 52 (2): 106–107. May 2014. Benennung: Gr.: neos neu; Damophila griechische Poetin des Altertums von der Insel Lesbos
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