Among the countless beautiful women who have doubtlessly lived in the centuries before ours, we have barely heard of two or three. Yet in those same centuries, we see the glory of many men solidly attested by the writings they have left us. Erinna, see to it that time, old age, and death only take the roses from you and do not steal all your beauty. Triumph over these enemies who threaten all beautiful things. Show yourself capable of supporting the glory of femininity. Make our common adversaries recognize that it is as easy for us to defeat them with the strength of our mind as with the beauty of our eyes. Show your judgement in despising the stupidity that customs could spread on your initiative. Offer to the entire world the beautiful works of your imagination, the noble achievements of your intellect, the grand outcomes of your memory, and the graceful marks of your discernment. You alone have the advantage of restoring the glory of all women. So do not neglect my words, for if you refuse to follow me and place all your glory in your beauty, you will weep in your lifetime the loss of this beauty. You will be spoken of as if you had lived in another era, and then you will realize that I was right to tell you today what I thought I had already expressed in some of my verses:

Lilies, carnations, and roses,
Their glow sets in your eyes,
But all this will fade,
And entirely, you will forget,
Unless, to conquer the Parca and destiny,
You embrace study, an immortal shield.

Effect of this speech
You could say that this speech had its effect because it seems that the recipient let herself be carried away where Sappho wanted since a Greek writing tells us that if Sappho surpassed Erinna in lyric poetry, Erinna surpassed Sappho in hexameter verse. If we move away from the literal meaning to get closer to my intentions, I would be very proud if I managed to convince you that beauty should not be the object of glory, in the same way as this beautiful poet persuaded her friend.

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