The Flowers of Venus: Nossis, Greek Anthology 5.170

Kisses Sweeter than Honey

Name:   Nossis Date:      3rd century BCE Region:  Locris [modern Italy] Citation:      Greek Anthology 5.170

Nothing is sweeter than love; even the sweetest things

Are second to it. Even honey

I have spit out of my mouth—it is not sweeter.

I, Nossis, declare, “Unless Venus has kissed someone,

They would not know what flowers she has, what type of roses.”     

ἅδιον οὐδὲν ἔρωτος, ἃ δ᾽ ὄλβια, δεύτερα πάντα ἐστὶν ἀπὸ στόματος δ᾽ ἔπτυσα καὶ τὸ μέλι. τοῦτο λέγει Νοσσίς: τίνα δ᾽ ἁ Κύπρις οὐκ ἐφίλασεν, οὐκ οἶδεν κήνα τἄνθεα ποῖα ῥόδα.

Dulce magis quid amore? cui suavissima cedunt, osque meum potius melle carere velim. Sic Nossis sentit, Venus, hoc, si quem oderit alma, nesciat, ast roseo flos huius est similis. Translated into Latin by Christian Wolff

Nossis [3^rd century BCE, modern Italy] was considered among the famous nine women poets of ancient Greek literature. She lived in Locris (southern Italy) during the 3rd 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.