The Lesbian Island: Fascinating Facts About the Island of Lesbos

According to Homer, the legendary heroes Achilles and Ajax buried a warrior of the Trojan War here. The educated poet Sappho and her circle of girls expressed affection not only for the goddess of love, Aphrodite, but also for each other. The island has given its name to homosexual women all over the world. Read a few interesting facts from its history; they might enrich you and even inspire to try finding new sensations.

Antiquity on Lesbos

The famous ancient poet Homer mentions the island in his epics The Iliad and The Odyssey, where Ajax and Achilles were said to have buried the Trojan War warrior Palamedes. These epics, written around the 8th century BCE, focus on the events of the Trojan War.

Ancient Lesbos is also closely associated with the renowned poet Sappho. In the 7th century BCE, the island was an important centre of culture and education. Sappho founded a school for young women and is said to have had friendly and even romantic relationships with them. She expressed this passion and desire for other women in her poetry, even though she was married and had a daughter. For example, I’ve read her poems about Atthis and must say they are beautiful and certainly speak of deep love between women. Her contemporaries, including Plutarch and Solon, admired this educated woman.

Another significant figure linked to the island was King Macar. He was believed to be the son of Helios, the sun god, and the first king of Lesbos. Parts of the island were said to be named after his descendants, such as Antissa, Arsinoe, Issa, Mytilene, Methymna, Eresos, Kydrolaos, Leucippus, and the last but not least, Neandros.

Lesbian Orientation

The term "lesbian" is used to describe a woman who is in a romantic relationship with another woman. The ancient history of Lesbos and homosexuality are closely connected, likely due to the poet Sappho and her poetry.

In general, it can be said that due to the ancient (pagan) religion, attitudes toward sexuality and love in antiquity were quite different from today's views. Sexual acts were not uncommon themes. In the ancient world, homosexual love was accepted as much as heterosexual love, and monogamy (which I personally do not favour) was not very usual. It was simply a world full of enjoyment where people did not limit themselves because of faith or judgment from others; they just lived life to the fullest.

Basic Information About the Island

Lesbos, known in Greek as Λέσβος, is located in the Aegean Sea, between Greece and Turkey. Its area is 1,634 km² (631 sq mi), whereas, for example, the area of our capital city, Prague, is 496 km² (191 sq mi). It is the third-largest Greek island. According to the 2020 census, 114,880 inhabitants lived there, while about 1.3 million people live in Prague. The first signs of settlement on the island date back to the 10th century BCE. The island was under the rule of Macedonia, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, and the Turks, but since 1912 it has belonged to Greece. The capital of the island is Mytilene, and a flight from Prague takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.

As a bisexual woman, I would say that, in general, lesbians are slightly more accepted in society than gay men, which is unfortunate and wrong in my opinion. Lesbians are often accepted by heterosexual men only due to sexualization in pornography and other areas. However, we should accept all people equally, regardless of their sexual orientation, religion, or race.

Love yourself and, like people in antiquity, enjoy life as much as possible. Be kind and happy—no one else can do that for you.