Greek Fiction

Greek fiction has been attracting greater attention in the last ten years as a result of the new approaches associated with gender studies, narrative theory and the social analysis of ancient literature: in addition, courses in Greek literature in translation have made the novel an attractive, because apparently familiar, genre to study. Recent work on the novel, or "romance" has concentrated on the so-called canon of Greek fiction: Xenophon of Ephesus, Heliodorus, Longus, Chariton and Achilles Tatius. Much attention has been focused on the definition of the genre and its possible origins. The purpose of this volume is to widen the terms of the debate while providing the student with a synoptic treatment of the most important works of Greek fiction. Greeks began writing prose fiction in the fourth century BC and the tradition continued for a millenium and a half. Fictional modes were used not only for entertaining romances like those mentioned but as a framework for Christian and Jewish religious literature and for quasi-historical works or "historical novels". The contributors to this volume have collaborated to map this extensive terrain on a larger scale than has been done up till now, and to enable the student to see the full extent of Greek fictional writing. This book sets new parameters for the study of Greek fiction.