Women Authors in Ancient Times
Treasurer Abby Almaguer
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Enheduanna (Sumer, 23rd Cerntury BC) was the earliest author and poet in world history that is known by name. Her works were discovered in 1927 by British archeologist Sir Leonard Woolley and became widely recognized in the world of academia by 1958. She wrote many hymns to the goddess Inanna, three of which survive. As one of the first women in feminist literature, she was referenced widely by other authors starting in the 1970s.
Sappho (Greece, 630-570 BC) was a poet who lived on the island of Lesbos. She wrote at least ten books of verse that are now lost, though many fragments of her poems remain. She's revered not only now, but also throughout antiquity, where she was often reffered to as "the tenth muse". Sappho's sexuality has been debated by scholars for centuries, she is the inspiration for the nineteenth century terms "sapphic" and "lesbian," both reffering to her love of women.