Post-classical performance culture and the Ancient Greek novel
Scholars have focused mainly on the sophisticated and specifically literary elements of the novel, revealing a staggering amount of intertextual traffic between the novels and canonical authors from Homer to Herodotus to Plato to Menander. While this (very successful) endeavour has raised the value of the novelsâ âcultural capitalâ, it has generally neglected another important aspect of the genreâthe so-called âlowâ, âsub-literaryâ influences on the novels. No work of art exists in a cultural vacuumâas work on intertextuality has shown, novelists like Achilles Tatius and Chariton were familiar with not only Homer and Plato but with contemporary intellectual culture. It seems more than possible that their knowledge would have extended beyond the textual and into the performance culture of the time. The principle concern of my thesis is the question of why the novel is so performative and theatrical. I explore the performance culture influences on three ancient Greek novelsâthe Callirhoe of Chariton of Aphrodisias, Leucippe and Clitophon of Achilles Tatius, and the Aethiopica of Heliodorus. Each novel makes use of âtheatreâ metaphorically but also practically and narratologically. The
Bentley, Gillian Granville
Post-classical performance culture and the Ancient Greek novel. Scholars have focused mainly on the sophisticated and specifically literary elements of the novel, revealing a staggering amount of intertextual traffic between the novels and canonical authors from Homer to Herodotus to Plato to Menander. While this (very successful) endeavour has raised the value of the novelsâ âcultural capitalâ, it has generally neglected another important aspect of the genreâthe so-called âlowâ, âsub-literaryâ influences on the novels. No work of art exists in a cultural vacuumâas work on intertextuality has shown, novelists like Achilles Tatius and Chariton were familiar with not only Homer and Plato but with contemporary intellectual culture. It seems more than possible that their knowledge would have extended beyond the textual and into the performance culture of the time. The principle concern of my thesis is the question of why the novel is so performative and theatrical. I explore the performance culture influences on three ancient Greek novelsâthe Callirhoe of Chariton of Aphrodisias, Leucippe and Clitophon of Achilles Tatius, and the Aethiopica of Heliodorus. Each novel makes use of âtheatreâ metaphorically but also practically and narratologically. The
post classical performance culture ancient_greek novel scholars focus_mainly sophisticated specifically literary element novel reveal amount intertextual traffic novel canonical author homer herodotus plato successful endeavour raise value novel cultural_capital generally neglect another_important aspect genre so_called low sub literary influence novel work_art exist cultural vacuum work intertextuality show novelist like familiar homer plato contemporary intellectual_culture seem possible knowledge would extend_beyond textual performance culture time principle concern question novel performative theatrical explore performance culture influence ancient_greek novel novel make_use theatre metaphorically also practically