Read pp. 1-49 in Hansen.
Keep in mind that there was no genre title for novels and romances in the ancient world, so this, like the Alexander Romance, would have been called a "narrative" (diegema) using the same word as applied to ancient histories.
Besides the 5 core questions we always keep in mind, note the following.
How does this narrative seem similar or dissimilar to the other ancient romance we read?
How does the role of love here compare to the ideas and manifestations of love we have seen in our earlier readings (Gilgamesh & Enkidu & the harlot and Ishtar, Plato's Symposium, Odyssey, Shakespeare's Tempest, Achilles and Briseis and the Amazon Penthesilea, Alexander and Hephaestion, Potiphar's wife & Bellerophon)?
How does this romance seem similar or dissimilar to more recent novelistic depictions of love? Think of some particular examples of modern love stories to compare.
Jordann Markowitz
ReplyDeleteWhile reading I have discovered many common themes to more modern day readings, including Romeo and Juliet and The Princess Bride. Why is it that while everything in our society changes, but our ideals of love still remain the same?
Maeve Tischbein
ReplyDeleteIn the notes before the actual story the narrator says that Xenophon never drags out suspense in the story but cancels it through oracles and oaths. Why does he do this? Or is it that this story was full of suspense in ancient time but our modern view has exaggerated our expectations of suspense?
Katie Burke
ReplyDeleteAs Jordann mentioned, there are some themes that connect with Romeo & Juliet, like the the poison that isn't actually poison. Why is it that in many narratives the characters have to kill themselves if they cannot be with their lover? Isn't that a bit overdramatic?
Shannon Potts
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting to find a story similar to that of Joseph and Potifer's wife, that of Hippolytus and Phaedra, and that of Bellerophon (p20). Could this have been a common theme in myths to warn the audience that love (passion) is dangerous?
Krysta Brown
ReplyDeleteI thought that a very interesting point of this story was the discussion of homosexuality. I realize that this was probably common in the ancient world, but other than Achilles and Patroclus, I think Hippothoos is really the first overt example of homosexuality that we have encountered. Is this something that only Xenophon of Ephesus includes, or do we begin to see homosexuality in literature after him as well?
Andrew Gordon
ReplyDeleteThe torment of both Anthia and Habrocomes is so great, and yet they still manage to stay alive. The odds that they would actually see each other again were so small that they couldn't possibly imagine to do so. Even in death they would preserve the oath they took to each other, and still manage to meet in the afterlife, so why is it that they wanted to live? If they were only to meet with turmoil, why wouldn't they each end their struggle and reunite in the afterlife?
Erin Bradley
ReplyDeleteIs it a common motif that those who are exceedingly beautiful are often childlike and can't seem to control their lives? Habrocomes and Anthia seemed tossed around at will but never step up and really fight to get away.
Doug Ritchey
ReplyDeleteA common motif that became apparent near the beginning of the tale was the oracle provided to Habrocome's father at the shrine of Apollo. Not only is the appearance of an oracle common, but so was the idea of our main character's future being foretold. From the oracle of Apollo, we are told our two characters would be separated, each to face their own toils, only to meet up in the end with a better future
AR
ReplyDeleteJordann,
You seem to think that our ideas of love have not changed. What are some particular similarities? Are there any differences? Do you think our idea of love is more similar to the view in the Ephesian Tale than the views in Plato's Symposium?
Maeve,
I think that you may have hit the tale on the head. In my opinion, the author misunderstood the ancient novel; ancient literature in general uses suspense less often than foreshadowing. When the author uses an oracle or dream to foreshadow later action (a motif found in other ancient narrative genres such as history, biography, and drama), he sets a situation rife with irony, since we as readers either know or at least highly suspect what will happen. Meanwhile, the characters in the story may either not understand the meaning of the dream or oracle, or they may be compelled to forget it or think it false because of their circumstances. It is not fair to criticize Xenophon because the characters "forget" the happy ending of the oracle. The ancient idea of fate was fluid. Prophecy might sometimes be false, or subsequent events might change fate in some ways. Here our characters many misfortunes make them dispair so that they feel like they will never gain happiness. However, they must always have kept a bit of hope.
Katie,
Good point about the parallel with Romeo and Juliet. This lover appears to be dead theme is usually connected with Ovid's account of Pyramus and Thisbe which Shakespeare reworks in Midsummer Night's Dream. It would seem to be a common theme for lover's tales in the ancient world. Note the more spiritual parallel with Christ and the women at the tomb. Do you not think anyone would act this way? Or is it just not common? Would you not hope for your lover to act similarly given similar circumstances?
Shannon,
Absolutely, as with the apparent death of the lover, this appears to be a common theme in ancient narratives/novels. If we had more ancient literature, we would no doubt find other examples. Jealousy is of course a powerful motivation, and the plot provides a clear trial for the man to overcome.
Krysta,
Remember Alcibiades' story about trying to seduce Socrates. Plato's Symposium has many references to homosexual relations, especially man-to-man but also woman-to-woman. It was a common enough thing in the Greek world. The Theban's had a special troop of soldiers who were all lovers. Julius Caesar was supposed to have both male and female lovers, and most people think that Alexander and Hephaestion were lovers. Remember that Alexander only produced one (or possibly two) sons. It does not seem like he slept with women often, since we do not hear of any bastard sons or more than 1 or 2 legitimate sons.
Andrew,
I think that the answer lies in the uncertainty about what happens after death. In the ancient world as today, there were many different ideas about death, some suggesting that it was a permanent end with no further existence (Epicurean philosophers being the most common to suggest this). Even if they believed they would continue in some form, there were many popular and scholarly views about what happened to people after death, so they might have thought that they could be separated after death.
Erin,
They do seem very innocent and childlike. I think this is because their oaths prevent them from engaging in life in a normal way. However, one could think of a parallel in modern lovers (usually motivated by religious reasons) who dedicate themselves to each other and do not have premarital sex. Often society views them as less mature and somewhat childlike because they are not aware of and conversant in certain aspects of the world. They do seem like very passive sorts of heores, but this is often how lovers are portrayed, as sufferers, not as actors. I think even in modern lit and film lovers are often viewed this way. Certainly extreme beauty is a common description of fictional lovers.
Doug,
Good point, the oracle foreshadows the eventual course of the narrative suggesting to us that all will end well even when it seems hopeless. The author is not concerned with keeping us from knowing what will happen as with entaining us with a colorful description of the eventts that lead to their reunion.
Zander,
ReplyDeleteI think that the begging summary was wrong when it says that both Habrocomes and Anthia love each other equally. All throughout the story Harocomes is always following wherever Anthia is, always a couple of steps behind. He never stops, even when he is told directly that she is dead, he still wants to find her body so that he can bury himself with her. Anthia, on the other hand, doesn't really do anything to try to get back to him. She just assumes he's dead after he is imprisoned. But even so she doesn't try escape at any point to find his body like he did, she is content on feeling sorry for herself and trying to kill herself without knowing for sure.