ABSTRACT

First published by CUP in 1989, The Medieval Greek Romance provides basic information for the non-specialist about Greek fiction during the period 1071-1453, as well as proposing new solutions to problems that have vexed previous generations of scholars. Roderick Beaton applies sophisticated methods of literary analysis to the material, and the bridges of the artificial gap which has separated `Byzantine'literature, in a form of ancient Greek as both homogenous and of a high level of literary sophistication.
Throughout, consideration is given to relations and interconnections with similar literature in western Europe. As most of the texts discussed are not available in English translation, the argument is illustrated by lucid plot summaries and extensive quotation (accompanied by literal English renderings).
For this edition, The Medieval Greek Romance has been revised throughout and expanded with the addition of an `Afterword' which assesses and responds to recent work on the subject.

chapter |5 pages

Introduction

part I|82 pages

1071 – 1204

chapter 1|13 pages

The Twelfth - Century Background

chapter 2|8 pages

The Literary Tradition

chapter 3|22 pages

The ‘Proto-Romance', Digenes Akrites

chapter 4|18 pages

The Renaissance of a Genre

chapter 5|19 pages

The Twelfth-Century Texts

part 2|118 pages

1204 – 1453

chapter 6|10 pages

The First ‘Modern Greek' Literature

chapter 8|18 pages

The Original Romances

Narrative Structure

chapter 10|18 pages

Genealogy

chapter 11|25 pages

Orality

chapter 12|18 pages

Reception