Women Supporting Women: Nossis' Trip to the Temple, Greek Anthology IX.332.1-3

In this poem, the Greek poet Nossis advertises the accomplishments of Polyarchis, a woman who was wealthy enough to purchase a gilded statue of Aphrodite to her local temple.

 

Ingressae templum spectemus Veneris

signum, ut auro fabrefactum exstat.

Statuit hoc Polyarchis...

Ἐλθοῖσαι ποτὶ ναὸν ἰδώμεθα τᾶς Ἀφροδίτας

τὸ βρέτας, ὡς χρυσῷ διαδαλόεν τελέθει.

εἵσατό μιν Πολυαρχίς, ...

--Nossis, Greek Anthology 9.332.1-3; Translated into Latin by Hugo Grotius  (1872)

Let’s go to the Temple of Aphrodite

And see her golden statue there.

Polyarchis provided it...

NOSSIS

MAP:

Name:  Nossis

Date:  3^rd c. BCE

Works:  [fragments]

 

REGION  1

BIO:

Timeline:

 Nossis was considered among the famous nine women poets of ancient Greek literature. She lived in Locris (southern Italy) during the 3^rd century. Several of her poems are preserved in the Greek Anthology; like that of her literary predecessor Sappho, Nossis’ poetry provides great insight into the lives of women in the ancient world.

 HELLENISTIC GREEK LITERATURE