Sappho, Hermes and the Aphrodite-Cybele (about the main erotic ritual in the Sapphic cult community)

Now we know that Sapphic Aphrodite is an “erotic side” of Cybele-Mother, the main Lesbian goddess, whose temple was the most important shrine of Mytilene VII–VI BC (Myakin 2024; Latzinoglou 2020; Spencer 1995). The article shows, that during the mysteries of Artemis the Sappho girls sacrificed their girlhood to Artemis with the participation of the poetess herself, who led this as a priestess of Aphrodite-Cybele (cf. M]ater…eortan, Sapph. Fr. 9, 4 Neri).