Cultural Representations and Artistic Accomplishments in Early Byzantine Literature: Random Comments on The Aethiopica

Foreign Literature Studies ›› 2021, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (1): 64-80.

Cultural Representations and Artistic Accomplishments in Early Byzantine Literature: Random Comments on The Aethiopica

Liu Jianjun

Published:2021-03-05
About author:Liu Jianjun is a Distinguished Professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Shanghai 200240, China), specializing in European medieval literature. Email: liujj@nenu.edu.cn
Supported by:
“Literature Translation and Literary History Writing of Byzantine Literature” (18ZDA287) sponsored by the National Social Science Fund of China

Abstract

Abstract: The Aethiopica by Heliodorus in the 4^th century is a representative work of romance in early Byzantine period. It deeply epitomizes the features of the immersion between the ancient Greek culture, Eastern Mediterranean culture, and early Christian culture, representing a new moral concept that puts chastity above marriage, celebrating the tremendous significance of human wisdom in times of crisis, and advocating both a proactive rebellious spirit against God and fate and a yearning for benevolence and peace. Artistically, this romance inherits the narrative structure of The Odyssey and creates a new mode of romance, in which the passionate love between the hero and heroine is mingled with fantastic adventures. Moreover, its description of the interactions between the protagonists provides a multi-faceted view of the age and knowledge of the place around the 4^th century.

Key words: The Aethiopica, Heliodorus, Eastern Mediterranean cultural features, Byzantine literature, The Odyssey

Liu Jianjun. Cultural Representations and Artistic Accomplishments in Early Byzantine Literature: Random Comments on The Aethiopica[J]. Foreign Literature Studies, 2021, 43(1): 64-80.

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