Achilles Tatius' Leucippe and Clitophon (composed in the second century AD) is the most bizarre and risque of the four 'Greek novels' of idealized love between boy and girl that survive from the period of the Roman empire. Stretching the capacity of the genre to the limits, Achilles Tatius' narrative covers adultery, violence, evisceration, pederasty, virginity-testing, and, of course, an improbable happy ending. Ingenious and sophisticated in conception, Leucippe and Clitophon is, in execution, at once subtle, stylish, moving, brash, tasteless, and obscene. This new translation aims to capture the exuberant variety of Achilles Tatius' writing. Detailed notes explain obscurities to the non-specialist and address more complex problems for the benefit of the student and the scholar. A witty and erudite introduction sets Achilles Tatius in his historical and literary contexts.
Achilles Tatius' Leucippe and Clitophon is a "Greek novel" composed in the second century AD. Like the other five novels that survive from this period, it focuses on the mutual love of a boy and a girl and the travails and obstacles that prevent them from consummating that love. This new translation (which incorporates detailed notes) aims to capture the variety and vivacity of Achilles Tatius' writing. A substantial introduction sets the text in its historical and literary contexts.
Its poise and high level of reliability are backed up by helpful notes as well as by Helen Morales' crisp introduction.
