Heliodorus: Aithiopika

Sold as a multi-volume set – the individual volumes are also available for purchase.

Heliodorus' Aithiopika, or 'Ethiopian Tale', is an adventure romance written probably in the fourth century AD, focusing on the young, beautiful lovers Charikleia and Theagenes. Beginning at the Delphic Oracle, which foretells a bright future for the couple in a 'dark land of the Sun', the story takes them from elopement from their families in Greece, aided by a mysterious old priest from Egypt, across the Aegean to shipwreck at the Nile Delta and capture by an outlaw band. From there they survive further perils at the hands of the Persian overlords of Egypt before finally arriving in Meroë, capital of ancient Ethiopia and birthplace of Charikleia, who had been exposed by the Queen of Ethiopia at birth for her anomalous white skin.

Heliodorus stands as the last and most sophisticated of the surviving Greek novelists in terms of plot and expression. Whilst the story itself is racy and clear, the diction is refined and elaborate, the expression complex. This is partly due to the literary movement, the Second Sophistic, to which Heliodorus belongs, and partly to the pursuit of paideia, or literary, philosophical, and rhetorical savvy, which characterized educated Greco-Roman society in Heliodorus’ time. Heliodorus himself says he was born a Phoenician in Emesa (modern Homs) in Syria from a family descended from the Sun. A later biographical note records his conversion to Christianity.

Volume One contains Books 1-5 of Aithiopika, with a substantial Introduction, a General Introduction by Nikoletta Kanavou, the Greek text and facing-page English translation, as well as commentary on Books 1-5.

Volume Two contains Books 6-10 of Aithiopika, with Greek text, facing-page English translation and commentary. In addition there is further analysis of Heliodorus' themes, language and style and appendices containing Philip the Philosopher: Interpretation of ‘Charikleia’, and Michael Psellos: Comparison of Heliodorus and Achilles Tatius.