Xenophon, Ephesiaka [An Ephesian Tale]

David Konstan (New York University)

Ed. by Vaios Liapis, Open University of Cyprus
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.1.1: Greek Writing and Culture: Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic and Imperial, -800--100.
Vol. editors: Jonathan Burgess (University of Toronto), Anca Dan (École Practique de Hautes Études PSL), Martine Diepenbroek (University of Johannesburg), Giacomo Fedeli (University of Exeter), Victoria Fendel (University of Oxford), Emily Kneebone (University of Nottingham), Vaios Liapis (Open University of Cyprus), Elodie Paillard (University of Sydney), Mali Skotheim (Ashoka University), Laura Swift (The Open University), Guendalina Daniela Maria Taietti (University of Liverpool)

Dates

First circulation or publication c. 100

Places

Ancient Greece (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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Among the five surviving ancient Greek romantic novels, all relating the vicissitudes of a betrothed or married couple, Xenophon's may be the earliest (first or second century CE), or earliest but one (depending on the dating of Chariton's

Chaereas and Callirrhoe

). Nothing is known of the author, or the circumstances of composition. The work, which has come down to us in five books, is entitled

Ephesiaka

or “The Ephesian Tale”. It is mentioned only in a Byzantine encyclopedia called

Suda

, which, however, states that it was in ten books. This has led some scholars to suppose that the work we have is an abridgement, but arguments for major lacunae in the text are not convincing.

The work survives in one manuscript, discovered in the 18th century, and so did not have an influence on the

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872 words

Citation: Konstan, David. "Ephesiaka". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 February 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=24667, accessed 24 November 2024.]

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Xenophon, Ephesiaka [An Ephesian Tale]

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