Arts & Sciences
Book IX, 190: On Erinna’s poem “The Spindle”
Translated by W. R. Paton (1916–18) · From The Greek Anthology (Loeb, vol. III, 1917)
This is the Lesbian honeycomb of Erinna, and though it be small, it is all infused with honey by the Muses. Her three hundred lines are equal to Homer, though she was but a child of nineteen years. Either plying her spindle in fear of her mother, or at the loom, she stood occupied in the service of the Muses. As much as Sappho excels Erinna in lyrics, so much does Erinna excel Sappho in hexameters.
This translation is printed as prose in its source edition.
Cite this poem
MLA
Anonymous (Greek Anthology). “Book IX, 190: On Erinna’s poem “The Spindle”.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-greek-anthology/445/.
Chicago
Anonymous (Greek Anthology). “Book IX, 190: On Erinna’s poem “The Spindle”.” Translated by W. R. Paton. Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/anonymous-greek-anthology/445/.
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