Abstract

ROJAS ALVAREZ, Lourdes. Love in Ancient Greek Novel. Nova tellus [online]. 2019, vol.37, n.2, pp.27-47. ISSN 0185-3058.  https://doi.org/10.19130/iifl.nt.2019.37.2.816.

The ancient Greek novel of love and adventures, better known as erotic novel, does not have a fixed structural pattern regarding the love theme; therefore, each author handles it in its own way. In this paper I will take into account different variants in how this topic is handled, that go from the amorous bowshot that makes this feeling arise suddenly, to the slow courting that leads to winning the loved one over. I will center my analysis in the novels of Longo, Xenophon of Ephesus, and Achilles Tatius. Then, in order to emphasize the importance of the love theme, I will go over some digressions found within the plot that treat it tangentially. I am referring to the human emotions towards love: the glance and the kiss engaged in its expression, as well as certain conquering techniques for winning someone’s heart, including homosexual love, to conclude with situations in which the chastity and fidelity of the leading characters are put to test. From the analysis of these topics, we can conclude that the passional eros of the leading characters is presented as the foundations of a marital bond put to numerous tests, during which it is transformed from an initially devastating passion into a stable and permanent bond that is offered as a leading model to the audience of the novel.

Keywords : Ancient Greek Novel; Erotic Greek Novels; Longus; Xenophon of Ephesus; Achilles Tatius.