Who was the first 'Lesbian'?

Who was the first 'Lesbian'?

Author: History Hit April 21, 2026 Duration: 41:39

Was Sappho queer? Or was this Ancient Greek poet just really really good friends with women?


Today on Betwixt the Sheets, Kate is joined by Katherine Horgan to find out how Sappho's poetry has lasted through the centuries, what we can really know about her life, and why she is important in the modern world?


Katherine is researching classical reception in Early Modern English Literature at Harvard, and will be taking on a professorship at Sarah Lawrence later this year.


This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  


You can take part in our listener survey here.


All music from Epidemic Sounds.


Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Ever wondered about the unspoken rules and private lives that shaped our past? Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society pulls back the curtain on the intimate forces that have influenced civilizations across time. Guided by sex historian Dr. Kate Lister, this History Hit podcast explores the fascinating intersections of desire, power, and social norms. Each episode digs into the questions rarely found in textbooks, examining how personal behavior and public scandal have driven political change, shaped laws, and defined cultural identities. You’ll hear about the surprising realities of Victorian domesticity, the unexpected social advantages for women following the Black Death, and even speculative curiosities about the private habits of figures like Julius Caesar. Lister bed-hops through eras with a scholar’s rigor and a storyteller’s flair, moving from ancient worlds through the medieval and Renaissance periods into more recent history. The conversations are insightful and engaging, transforming taboo topics into a legitimate lens for understanding human progress and conflict. Tuning in offers a unique perspective on the past, revealing how the most personal aspects of life are inextricably woven into the broader tapestry of society. It’s a deep and often surprising dive into the histories that happened, quite literally, behind closed doors.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Podcast Episodes
The Elusive Female Orgasm with Dan Snow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:26
There will be giggling and gasping galore! And that's just when you listen to this episode!Dan Snow quizzes Kate on all things female pleasure. When was the first recorded female orgasm? Has there always been an orgasm g…
How to Get Cancelled as a Medieval Mistress [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:45
What do you have to do wrong to be specifically named in a law? In the 14th Century, one of the mistresses of King Edward III found out. So who was Alice Perrers?Kate is joined by the one and only Eleanor Janega to find…
A History of Homophobia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:56
Has there ever been a time when homophobia did not exist? And what causes it to rise and fall?Kate is joined by Dr. Harry Tanner, author of 'The Queer Thing About Sin: Why the West Came to Hate Queer Love'. Harry has bee…
How to Get Cancelled in Ancient Judea [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:25
What do we know about Jesus? Kate is joined for this episode by Professor of Christian Origins, Helen Bond, to find out more about the historical record for the events of the New Testament, why Jesus was persecuted, and…
The Fake Princess Who Fooled Georgian England [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:05
What you'll hear in today's episode is a story that strikes to the dark heart of the British Empire.Despite being set in the time of Jane Austen's early 19th century polite society, Princess Caraboo's strange tale makes…
Sex Work in Colonial India [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:14
When the British Empire colonised India, how did it treat their different ideas about sex? How did they treat sex workers like the Devadasi, meaning 'slave of God'? And did the Victorians fetishise Indian sexuality?Joini…
How Scandalous Were Masquerade Balls? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:36
Faces covered, identities unknown - masquerade balls sound like a place of anonymity and, therefore, SCANDAL.But how true is this in the 18th Century? Could people sneak in unrecognised like they do in Bridgerton? And ho…
The Brothels of Imperial Russia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:25
In today's episode we're taking you back to the brothels of 19th century St. Petersburg.Sex work was legalised under the Emperor Nicholas I, but what was life like for sex workers? Why did they have to carry yellow ticke…
Sex Work in the American Revolution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:23
Where the American War of Independence raged, the camp followers...followed.Among them were sex workers, for both the American and British troops. What was life like inside army camps where sex workers mixed with wives,…
The Depravity of the Marquis De Sade [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:46
Sadism - the derivation of pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering and humiliation on others - is named after this man. So what exactly did he do?Kate is joined by journalist and author Joel Warner to discuss the Marqui…