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Works of Art in Ancient Greek Novels

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Works of Art in Ancient Greek Novels _________________________________________________________________________Swansea University E-Theses Works of art in ancient Greek novels. D'Alconzo, Nicolo How to cite: _________________________________________________________________________ D'Alconzo, Nicolo (2015) Works of art in ancient Greek novels.. thesis, Swansea University. http://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa42452 Use policy: _________________________________________________________________________ This item is brought to you by Swansea University. Any person downloading material is agreeing to abide by the terms of the repository licence: copies of full text items may be used or reproduced in any format or medium, without prior permission for personal research or study, educational or non-commercial purposes only. The copyright for any work remains with the original author unless otherwise specified. The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holder. Permission for multiple reproductions should be obtained from the original author. Authors are personally responsible for adhering to copyright and publisher restrictions when uploading content to the repository. Please link to the metadata record in the Swansea University repository, Cronfa (link given in the citation reference above.) http://www.swansea.ac.uk/library/researchsupport/ris-support/ Works of Art in Ancient Greek Novels by N icold D ’A lconzo Submitted to Swansea University in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. SWANSEA UNIVERSITY 2 0 1 5 ProQuest Number: 10798160 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10798160 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 SUMMARY This thesis is a study on the use of works of art in Greek novels, based on the idea that the novelists understood it as one of the main features of their job. I recognise a coherent pattern whereby works of art are closely connected to protagonists and plot, which started already with first-century novels and continued throughout. Chapter One explores rhetorical theory of ekphrasis in order to provide technical information on it as well as to reassess the notion that descriptions of paintings in novels were entirely dependent on rhetoric. Chapter Two starts the analysis of the feature of works of art in the genre by examining Chariton and Xenophon of Ephesus, and by making some considerations on the Ninus romance as well. It shows that works of had a relevant role before the introduction of ekphrasis of paintings, and also that novelists showed a tendency to employ, and innovate on, the ideas of their predecessors. Through close textual analysis of the relevant passages, Chapter Three details how Achilles Tatius composed the ekphraseis of paintings from literary as well as figurative models, and shows how he explored their potential by experimenting on the connection between description and narration. In an appendix, it also examines a possible connection between Achilles Tatius and Lucian. I see Achilles Tatius’ descriptions as a prelude to the reflection on the nature of ekphrasis of paintings that can be found in Longus, mostly in the prologue of his novel. Chapter Four is dedicated to this, and connects it to the development of ekphrasis of paintings as an autonomous genre in the third century. Finally, Chapter Five considers Heliodorus as the recipient of this tradition, by looking closely at how he used the story of the birth of his heroine, who is bom from a painting, to talk about the birth of his novel. The novelists became progressively aware that art was the expedient through which they could talk about the nature of their work. Declaration This work has not previously been accepted in substance for any degree and is not currently submitted in candidature for any other degree. Signed ... (Candidate) Date STATEMENT 1 This thesis is the result of my own investigations, except where otherwise stated. Where corrections services have been used, the extent and nature of the corrections are clearly marked in a footnote(s). Other sources are acknowledged by footnotes giving explicit references. A bibliography is appended. Signed.. .. (Candidate) Date STATEMENT 2 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available for photocopying and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed. vCandidate) CONTENTS Introduction ....................................................................................................... 3 1. Ekphrasis of works of art and Progymnasmata ........................................................................ 8 1.1. Greek novels and ekphrasis of works of art in the eyes of scholarship ...................... 9 1.2. Nature and purpose of Progymnasmata ........................................................................ 15 1.3. Nature and purpose of ekphrasis ................................................................................... 17 1.4. Ekphrasis of works of art............................................................................................... 21 1.4'. 1. The shield of Achilles in the Progymnasmata ..................................................... 21 1.4.2. Ekphrasis of works of art in Nicolaus ................................................................... 24 1.4.3. Ekphrasis of works of art in John of Sardis.......................................................... 28 1.4.4. Ekphrasis of works of art in epideictic speech ..................................................... 31 Final remarks ......................................................................................................................... 35 2. The use of works of art in the early novels ............................................................................... 37 2.1. Images in the Ninus romance ......................................................................................... 37 2.2. The use of works of art in Chariton’s Chaereas and Callirhoe ................................... 41 2.2.1. Images of Chaereas................................................................................................ 43 2.2.2. Images of Callirhoe................................................................................................ 53 2.3. The use of works of art in Xenophon of Ephesus’ Ephesiaca ..................................... 70 2.3.1. Introduction of the protagonists ............................................................................ 70 2.3.2. Aegialeus and Thelxinoe ........................................................................................ 74 2.3.3. The nuptial canopy ................................................................................................. 77 3. Ekphrasis of paintings in Achilles Tatius.................................................................................. 84 3.1. On narration and description .......................................................................................... 84 3.2. On narration and description in ancient rhetorical theory ........................................... 90 3.2.1. Length and integration of description ................................................................... 90 3.2.2. Combination of ekphrasis with other exercises................................................... 95 3.2.3. Ekphrasis and diegema: narrative description ..................................................... 100 3.2.4. Diegema and ekphrasis : descriptive narrative ..................................................... 103 3.3. Paintings in Achilles Tatius’ Leucippe and Clitophon ................................................ 107 A byzantine epigram ........................................................................................................ 110 3.3.1. The rape of Europa................................................................................................. 110 Structure and style .................................................................................................. 112 Models ..................................................................................................................... 118 The painting and the main story ............................................................................ 127 Clitophon’s garden ................................................................................................. 134 3.3.2. Andromeda and Prometheus .................................................................................. 141 Iconography............................................................................................................. 148 Art and theatre ........................................................................................................ 152 The diptych and the main story ............................................................................. 155 3.3.3. Philomela and Procne ............................................................................................
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