A commentary on books 3 and 4 of the Ethiopian story of Heliodorus.
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Date
1998
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Abstract
The thesis consists of an introduction to and commentary on books 3 and 4 of the
Ethiopian Story of Heliodorus. The introduction explores the meagre evidence for the life
of the author, and concludes that he was probably a Phoenician living in the Syrian city of
Emesa. The nature of the personal relationship between Heliodorus and the cult of the sun,
mentioned explicitly in the final sentence of the romance, is discussed but must remain
inconclusive. References to Helios in the romance are shown to be largely literary rather
than programmatically religious. The narrative context surrounding the encounter between
the hero and heroine of the story and the latter's strange birth, which constitutes the true
opening of the romance, are investigated particularly closely. The possibility that the
author represented his heroine, paradoxically born white to the black king and queen of
Ethiopia, as what would today be termed an albino, is analysed, and the literary and cultural
implications of this evaluated. Comparative anthropological studies of this hereditary
condition in a variety of cultures show a strong connection with religious cults of the sun,
while the internal evidence in the romance (particularly the heroine 's miraculous birth, the
constrained sexuality of the hero and heroine, and the high degree of cultural alienation in
the work) further corroborate this argument.
The introduction also reviews the evidence for the date of the romance, such as the
extent of the author's knowledge of the contemporary kingdoms of Axum and Meroe, his
use of words and linguistic forms that were prevalent in the fourth century, the traces of
Christian doctrines in the romance, the comparison between the sieges of Syene and Nisibis,
and the similarity between the account of the triumphal procession of Aurelian in
Vopiscus' biography of the emperor and the presentation of ambassadors to Hydaspes.
This survey shows that there are strong arguments for the fourth century date for the
romance. The introduction concludes with a brief survey of the language and style of
Heliodorus.
The commentary provides detailed discussion of key passages for the interpretation
of the author's narratological strategy, with particular regard to the role of Kalasiris in the
plot. Other substantial notes look at the author's treatment of the conventions of romance ,
his ironical use of the superstition of the 'evil eye', his subtle characterisation, and his use
of literary topoi. The thesis concludes with appendices on the intertextual relationship
between the Homeric epics and the Ethiopian Story, the significance of the word uvn6Eoc;,
and the 'amphibolies', or double explanations for events in the narrative.
Description
Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1998.
Keywords
Heliodorus, of Emesa. Aethiopica historia., Theses--Classics.