Ancient novel

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The ancient novel , especially that of the Greeks , is a literary genre of its own . The first Greek novel-like texts originated in the late 4th century BC. With the beginning of Hellenism . From the series of well-known works (see the list of ancient novels ), there are only five fully transmitted narratives that today's research counts on the ancient Greek novel. The oldest surviving example of the genre is a novel preserved on two papyrus fragments (Papyrus Berolinensis 6926 and PSI 1305), which deals with the love of Ninos and Semiramis and dates from the 2nd or 1st century BC. BC.

Definition and demarcation

In the beginning Hellenism of the late 4th century BC The first scripts that are considered to be the forerunners of the novel were written in Greece . In ancient Rome , too , writings were created that are assigned to this literary genre, which are not considered in the following. However, the term “novel” did not yet exist in antiquity , a category to which these fictional works were included was missing. The term novel first appeared in the Middle Ages , but was not established until the course of the 18th century, when the first discussions about the generic term and the definitions of the novel began. That is why today the literary novel-like narration of antiquity is retrospectively referred to as an "ancient novel". Like the modern novel, the ancient novel, as a separate class of literature , is differentiated from other literary products such as historiographical works, epic poems , adventurous travel stories and love poetry through narrative type, motifs and style .

Research history

Various theses have been put forward on the origin and forerunners of the ancient Greek novel. At the end of the 19th century, Erwin Rohde developed the first thesis according to which the novels were based on Hellenistic travel stories and love poems. Current research assumes that this thesis cannot be upheld for chronological reasons. Another thesis, largely rejected in modern research, was put forward by Eduard Schwartz in 1896 . He saw the origin of the novel in historiography, in historiographical works.

According to more recent research approaches, the novel is rather the "real heir of the epic". Homer's epics Odyssey and Iliad are therefore regarded as the concrete model of the novel, just as it is recognized that they formed the starting point for the literary work of antiquity in general. For example, “the novelists […] took some of their motifs from Homer” and often alluded to “people or situations from the epic”. Even elements of the narrative technique, such as opening credits and parallel storylines, have been adopted by Homer in the various novels.

The novel as a historical source

The novels are fictional, literary works, no narratives of historical events and no suppliers of historical facts. Nevertheless, certain statements about ancient Greece can be derived from the novels, especially about social, societal and cultural issues. Examples are: the role and position of slaves within society, questions about belief in gods , religion and mythology , but also about aspects of homosexuality in antiquity.

Contemporary recipients

Statements about the actual readers or groups of readers of the novels are difficult due to the distance in time. Research today assumes that novels were used for entertainment, that they were read as reading or that the stories were read to the audience. The recipients most likely belonged to a higher educated class of society who had the time and interest in these works. That speaks for a trained and interested reader. The acquisition of the extensive books was also a financial issue. The circle of readers can be narrowed down to the fact that the novels seemed to be aimed primarily at a female audience. In research there is even the as yet unproven hypothesis that the authors of the novels could be women authors who wrote their stories under male pseudonyms.

Common motives

The ancient novels all follow a certain basic pattern, which can, however, be modified and thus differ from other novels. The common basic pattern of romance novels is, for example, the separation of lovers, their mutual search and finally the reunification of the two protagonists. Certain motifs run through the plot of the novels. In romance novels, both protagonists initially swear love and loyalty. This loyalty is then put to the test in the further course of action and must withstand tests. However, the lovers are never separated in their love, but only exposed to external dangerous situations. In Achilleus Tatios ' " Leukippe und Kleitophon ", Kleitophon does not give up his love for Leukippe, although he believes her dead. One of the main motifs of the ancient novel is traveling, i.e. changing the scene. In Longos ' " Daphnis and Chloe " this subject is modified before: It does not describe geographical changes, but a change of social status. During their travels, the protagonists are captured several times and are often enslaved. In their captivity, hero and heroine encounter the obstacle of other applicants, who immediately fall in love with one of the two. In Heliodor's “ Aithiopiká ”, for example, Theagenes meets Arsake, the governor's wife, during his stay in Memphis. When Arsake realizes that her Theagenes will not give in and remains loyal to his lover, Charikleia, she has him tortured and tries to get rid of Charikleia. The revenge of the rejected - and now angry - applicants is also a frequent motif in the novels. In every novel the lovers find themselves at the end of the story; the reunification is often followed by a wedding.

“Then they drove to Meroë in the light of the torches, to the sound of flutes and whistles, (...) accompanied by cheers, clapping hands and dancing. The actual wedding should be celebrated in the city with even more effort. "

- Heliodorus : Theagenes and Charikleia, book 8

The protagonists in the novels embody values ​​and ideals. They are united by divine beauty - both are often described with superlatives - innocence and loyalty. Chariton's " Chaireas and Kallirrhoe " is an exception in that she first marries Dionysius and not the hero of the novel Chaireas. However, she is forced to make this decision because she is expecting a child from Chaireas and wants to raise it well. Even if the heroes appear as a kind of personified perfection, it is the supporting characters that drive the action. They are usually more complex, not blameless, but therefore more human, more realistic. When the protagonists fall in love at the beginning of the novels, they seem to have the consequences of an illness or injury. For example, Habrokomes loses its beauty in Xenophons of Ephesus The Weapons of Eros . In Daphnis and Chloe , when their sexual desire is awakened but cannot be satisfied, the cold Scythian winter follows .

In all this, one must consider that the selection and transmission of embossed choices were subject of the novels entirely preserved Christian and much of the fiction, such as the Babyloniaka of Iamblichos , missing, who apparently marked by significantly less pleasing traits.

Religious Aspects

The plot of the novels is mostly controlled by the intervention of a deity, by prophecies or dreams. The religious theme plays an important role throughout the course. The protagonists usually serve a certain deity.

"When morning came, (...) the girl went to the usual service of her goddess ( Artemis )."

- Xenophon : The Weapons of Eros, Book 1

The work of the Tyche , who puts the protagonists to the test, is mentioned particularly often . Through the intervention of Eros and Aphrodite , because of which the heroes fall in love (e.g. in The Arms of Eros ), a connection between religion and eroticism can be established.

Reinhold Merkelbach put forward the thesis that the novels are tools for the mystery cults and that the journeys that occur in them should be understood as wanderings of the soul. This thesis is rejected by most scientists nowadays, among other things for the reason that Merkelbach only relies on one novel, namely the Ethiopica .

The geographical framework

Most of the ancient novels take place in the eastern Mediterranean , the Levant . However, no geographical connections are described, only representations of places. The urban-rural divide provides a contrast in this context. The duration of the trips is not mentioned.

An exception to the geographical framework is again Daphnis and Chloe , a work that is under the influence of the bucolic and whose action only takes place on the island of Lesbos .

swell

  • Achilles Tatios (of Alexandria?), Leukippe and Kleitophon
  • Antonios Diogenes, Miracles Beyond Thule (fragment)
  • Chariton from Aphrodisias, Chaireas and Kallirrhoë
  • Chione novel (fragment)
  • Euhemeros of Messene, Holy Inscription (fragment)
  • Heliodorus of Emesa, Aithiopika (Theagenes and Charikleia)
  • Iamblichos, Babyloniaka (fragment)
  • Utopia of Iambulos (summary in Diodor, 2nd book)
  • Iolaos novel (fragment)
  • Calligone novel (fragment)
  • Lollianos, Phoinikika (fragment)
  • Longos of Lesbos, Daphnis and Chloë
  • Lukios or the donkey ( short version of the "Metamorphoses" of Lukios of Patrai)
  • Novel by Metiochus and Parthenope
  • Ninos novel
  • Sesonchosis novel
  • Xenophon of Ephesus, Ephesiaka (Antheia and Habrokomes, also: The weapons of Eros)

literature

  • Roger Beck: Mystery, Aretalogy and the Ancient Novel. In: Gareth Schmeling: The Novel in the Ancient World. Leiden / New York / Cologne 1996, pp. 131–150.
  • Hans Gärtner (Ed.): Contributions to the Greek romance novel. Hildesheim 1984.
  • Tomas Hägg: Eros and Tyche. The novel in the ancient world. (Cultural history of the ancient world, Vol. 36) Mainz 1987.
  • Niklas Holzberg : The ancient novel. An introduction. Munich 1986.
  • Heinrich Kuch (ed.): The ancient novel: Investigations into literary communication and genre history. Berlin 1989.
  • Bernhard Kytzler : In the realm of eros. All the love and adventure novels of antiquity. 2 volumes. Munich 1983.
  • James Romm: Travel . In: Tim Whitmarsh: The Cambridge Companion to the Greek and Roman Novel. Cambridge 2008, pp. 109-126.
  • Tim Whitmarsh : The Cambridge Companion to the Greek and Roman Novel. Cambridge 2008.
  • Tim Whitmarsh: Narrative and Identity in the ancient Greek novel. Cambridge 2011.
  • Susan Stephens / John J. Winkler : Ancient Greek Novels: The Fragments. Princeton 1995.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Erwin Rohde: The Greek novel and its precursors. Leipzig 1876.
  2. ↑ a b c Tomas Hägg: Eros and Tyche. The novel in the ancient world. (Cultural history of the ancient world, vol. 36), Mainz 1987, p. 138.
  3. ^ Eduard Schwartz: Five lectures on the Greek novel. 1896.
  4. ↑ a b c d T. Hägg: Eros and Tyche , p. 139.
  5. ↑ Kurt Treu: The ancient novel and its audience. In: Heinrich Kuch (ed.): The ancient novel. Studies on literary communication and genre history. Berlin 1989, pp. 82-106.
  6. ↑ T. Hägg, Eros and Tyche, p. 124.
  7. ↑ Achilleus Tatios, Leukippe and Kleitophon Book 8.
  8. ↑ Cf. Achilleus Tatios, Leukippe and Kleitophon Book 5.
  9. ^ J. Romm: Travel . In: T. Whitmarsh: The Cambridge Companion to the Greek and Roman Novel. Cambridge 2008, pp. 109-126.
  10. ↑ Heliodorus, The Adventures of Beautiful Chariklea, Book 8.
  11. ↑ Chariton, Kallirhoe Book 2.
  12. ↑ See the role of Hippothoos in Xenophon of Ephesus , Die Waffen des Eros .
  13. ↑ Longos , Daphnis and Chloë Book 3.
  14. ↑ See R. Beck: Mystery, Aretalogy and the Ancient Novel. In: G. Schmeling: The Novel in the Ancient World. Leiden / New York / Cologne 1996, pp. 131–150.
  15. ↑ See Chariton, Kallirhoe .