From history, as it was preserved by Greek and Roman writers, we learn that a very beautiful young man, Phaon, who was the captain of a small sailing ship that traveled between Lesvos and Minor Asia, had captured the hearts of all the women in Mytilene. He was so charming that during the next generations a myth was born, which said that one day Phaon carried an old lady across with his ship without asking for any money so later just before she left, she presented herself as the goddess Aphrodite and gave him a fount of myrrh with which he would ensure the love of all the women.

Sappho was almost fifty years old at that time. The most famous woman in Greece, she still preserved her charm. Her age was difficult to tell due to the elegance she obtained from her aristocratic status and the liveliness and grace that her body maintained since she had always been a dancer and was rendered as a model of graciousness. She was no longer disheartened by the fact that she would socialize with sailors and fishermen from lower classes. One can also read about the story of a new fisherman, Pelagona, who died young and for whom Sappho wrote a sepulchral which was carved on his grave. Sappho fell madly in love with Phaon. It has been said that many of her poems were written for him but unfortunately none of them have been retrieved today. Excerpts from her later work, like: "...lift your head, friend, look at me straight into the face and unfold that grace, which abides in your eyes..." , "...do not scorn me...", "...to carry thy in my bosom, my beloved...", may be addressed towards him. Their love affair had so much passion and was so tense that shocked the aristocratic society of Lesvos.

However, that story will not last long. Either Phaon got bored or he was bribed by Charaxos, Sappho's brother, who threatened Phaon's life or he was under pressure by third parties. In any case, he left suddenly and secretly with a commercial ship, without saying goodbye to Sappho and headed for Sicily.

Sappho broke down. She could not bear the thought of losing him. She found no interest in Lesvos anymore so she went to Sicily. When the ship arrived in Lefkada for supplies and trading, she was only seven to eight days of traveling away from Sicily but Sappho then must have suddenly realized the amount of hope she had that their passion would resurrect, how would young Phaon confront her, how long would her happiness last with such a great age difference and finally the shame that it would be for her to return pitiable to Lesvos. Desperate as she was, she decided that the only solution would be to kill herself so she "jumped off the top of the cliff of Lefkada out of love for Phaon of Mytilene" (Souidas).

This love affair with the tragic end became a legend. This story will be later narrated by Alkaeos, Menandros, Kratinos, Apostolios, Ovedius, Soudias and it will be the subject of discussion for Greeks and Romans for centuries.