Prose fiction, although not always associated with classical antiquity, did in fact flourish in the early Roman Empire, not only in realistic Latin novels but also and indeed principally in the Greek ideal romance of love and adventure to which they are related. Popular in the Renaissance, these stories have been less familiar in later centuries. Translations of the Greek stories were not readily available in English before B.P. Reardon’s excellent volume.
Nine complete stories are included here as well as ten others, encompassing the whole range of classical themes: ideal romance, travel adventure, historical fiction, and comic parody. A new foreword by J.R. Morgan examines the enormous impact this groundbreaking collection has had on our understanding of classical thought and our concept of the novel.
Collected Ancient Greek Novels
About the Book
Reviews
“The modern reader will find many pleasures and surprises in these ancient novels. . . . They represent a mature and sophisticated art form . . . aimed at a popular taste.”—The Key Reporter
Table of Contents
Foreword to the 2008 Edition
by J R. Morgan
General Introduction
by B. P Reardon
Chariton · CHAEREAS AND CALLIRHOE
translated by B. P. Reardon
Xenophon of Ephesus · AN EPHESIAN TALE
translated by Graham Anderson
Achilles Tatius · LEUCIPPE AND CLITOPHON
translated by John]. Winkler
Longus · DAPHNIS AND CHLOE
translated by Christopher Gill
Heliodorus · AN ETHIOPIAN STORY
translated by]. R. Morgan
Pseudo-Lucian · THE ASS
translated by]. P. Sullivan
Lucian · A TRUE STORY
translated by B. P. Reardon
Pseudo-Callisthenes · ALEXANDER ROMANCE
translated by Ken Dowden
Anonymous · THE STORY OF APOLLONIUS
KING OF TYRE
translated by Gerald N. Sandy
SUMMARIES
translated by Gerald N. Sandy
Antonius Diogenes · THE WONDERS
BEYOND THULE
Iamblichus · A BABYLONIAN STORY
FRAGMENTS
translated by Gerald N. Sandy and B. P. Reardon
Introduction
NINUS
A PHOENICIAN STORY
METIOCHUS AND PARTHENOPE
IOLAUS
SESONCHOSIS
HERPYLLIS
CHIONE
CALLIGONE