In:
The Classical Quarterly, Cambridge University Press (CUP), Vol. 18, No. 2 ( 1924-04), p. 57-58
Abstract:
The genesis of the Greek prose romance is still in large part shrouded in darkness, in spite of the researches of Erwin Rohde, one of the greatest scholars of the last generation. The reasons are evident; the material at our disposal is far too scanty, the loss of early specimens of this literary form is far too great to allow of a flawless reconstruction of the history of the Greek romance. The same lacunae have also prevented us from obtaining as complete an insight into the sources of the extant romances as would be desirable. Rohde conjectured that the genre was the result of a skilful combination of mythological narrative and adventure novel; Warren thought that the Greek prose romance had about the same origin and took the same development as the old French prose romance—that is, it developed out of the epic. At all times scholars have been aware of the fact that the great role which love plays in the Greek romance has a parallel in the tragedies of Euripides, who may be considered the first tragic poet to introduce the love theme on the stage. But so far as I am aware, it has not been pointed out that Euripides was drawn upon for whole episodes in order to enrich the plot of the novel. Yet such seems to have been the case for one of the best-known passages of the Apollonius Romance , as I shall endeavour to show in the following pages.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0009-8388
,
1471-6844
DOI:
10.1017/S0009838800006844
Language:
English
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Publication Date:
1924
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2060299-6
SSG:
6,12
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