ABSTRACT
In Livistros and Rodamni we have two stories combined and narrated in a rather complicated way. The whole poem is told in the first person by Klitovon. Within Klitovon’s narrative, after he and Livistros have met, we start with Livistros telling his newly found friend more than half his own story; and then Klitovon does the same for Livistros. After this exchange of histories Klitovon joins Livistros in his quest. Only here, after the mid-point of the poem, does Klitovon begin to present the story directly to his audience as he himself has seen and experienced it. But even in this latter part we get recapitulations of the kidnapping scene, first from the witch and then from Rodamni herself; each recapitulation adds further information which supplements the first account, as well as furthering our acquaintance with Rodamni and Verderichos, not to mention the witch herself. The element of suspense and the interplay of characters which this technique allows give Livistros a sophistication and depth that we do not find in Velthandros and Kallimachos.
