Title: Female protagonists in the Late Byzantine romances Livistros and Rodamni and Achilleid as seen through Greimas' actantial model
Source document: Neograeca Bohemica. 2021, vol. 21, iss. [1], pp. [27]-40
Extent
[27]-40
-
ISSN1803-6414 (print)2694-913X (online)
Persistent identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5817/NGB2021-1-2
Stable URL (handle): https://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/144751
Type: Article
Language
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 International
Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.
Abstract(s)
This article deals with the development of the love relationships between the protagonists in the romances Livistros and Rodamni and Byzantine Achilleid. Focusing on the female protagonists and their characters, it pursues the potential shifts in their demeanours towards their male counterparts. The method used for the analysis of the characters is the actantial model by A. J. Greimas. Firstly, the article shows how the process of courtship transformed from an act of persuading the female protagonist in Livistros and Rodamni to the rather straightforward wooing in the Achilleid, despite the use of similar courtship methods. Second, it shows that the behaviour of the female protagonists also shifted; the complexity and craftiness of Rodamni contrasts with the much more direct and decisive character of Polyxeni. The article provides evidence of a shift in the portrayal of the love relationships in erotic fiction as well as a tendency to portray the female protagonists of such works as being more self-reliant and open-hearted.
References
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[2] Agapitos, P. A. (transl.) 2021. The Tale of Livistros and Rodamne: A Byzantine Love Romance of the 13th Century. Liverpool.
[3] Frazer, R. M. (transl.) 1966. The Trojan War. The Chronicles of Dictys of Crete and Dares the Phrygian. Bloomington [online]. Available from: https://www.theoi.com/Text/DictysCretensis1.html [16 May 2021].
[4] Lendari, T. (ed.) 2007. Αφήγησις Λιβίστρου και Ροδάμνης [Afigisis Livistrou kai Rodamnis] (Livistros and Rodamne). The Vatican Version. Critical Edition with Introduction, Commentary and Index-Glossary. Athens.
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[9] Agapitos, P. A. 1993. I chronologiki akolouthia ton mythistorimaton Kallimachos, Velthandros kai Livistros. In N. M. Panagiotakis (ed.), Arches tis neoellinikis logotechnias. Praktika tou defterou Diethnous Synedriou Neograeca Medii Aevi (Venetia, 7–10 Noemvriou), vol. 2. Venetia, 197–234. [Αγαπητός, Π. A. 1993. Η χρονολογική ακολουθία των μυθιστορημάτων Καλλίμαχος, Βέλθανδρος και Λίβιστρος. Στο N. M. Παναγιωτάκης (επιμ.), Αρχές της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας. Πρακτικά του δεύτερου Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου Neograeca Medii Aevi (Βενετία, 7–10 Νοεμβρίου 1991), τ. 2. Βενετία, 197–234.]
[10] Agapitos, P. A. 2004. Apo to 'drama' tou Erota sto 'afigiman' tis Agapis. To erotiko mythistorima sto Vyzantio (11ᵒs–14ᵒs aionas). In Ch. Angelidi (ed.), To Vyzantio orimo gia allages: Epiloges, evaisthisies kai tropoi ekfrasis apo ton endekato ston dekato pempto aiona. Athina, 53–72. [Αγαπητός, Π. A. 2004. Από το «δράμα» του Έρωτα στο «αφήγημαν» της Αγάπης. Το ερωτικό μυθιστόρημα στο Βυζάντιο (11ος–14ος αιώνας). Στο Χ. Αγγελίδη (επιμ.), Το Βυζάντιο ώριμο για αλλαγές: Επιλογές, ευαισθησίες και τρόποι έκφρασης από τον ενδέκατο στον δέκατο πέμπτο αιώνα. Αθήνα, 53–72.]
[11] Agapitos, P. A. 2020. The Insignificance of 1204 and 1453 for the History of Byzantine Literature. Medioevo Greco 20, 1–58.
[12] Agapitos, P. A. – Smith, O. L. 1992. The Study of Medieval Greek Romance: A Reassessment of Recent Work. Copenhagen.
[13] Ainalis, Z. 2020. Damsels in Distress? Women's Representations in the Palaiologan Romances. Paper presented at the online conference The World of the Late Byzantine Romance in Context: Storytelling Across Europe (13th–15th c.), June 4–5, 2020.
[14] Aleksidze, A. 1979. Mir grecheskogo rycarskogo romana (XIII–XIV vv.). Tbilisi. [Алексидзе, А. 1979. Мир греческого рыцарского романа XIII–XIV вв. Тбилиси.]
[15] Beaton, R. 1996. The Medieval Greek Romance. London.
[16] Beck, H. G. 1971. Geschichte der byzantinischen Volksliteratur. München.
[17] Beck, H. G. 1986. Byzantinisches Erotikon. München.
[18] Cupane, C. 2013. Una passeggiata nei boschi narrativi. Lo statuto della finzione nel "Medioevo Romanzo e Orientale". In margine a un contributo recente. Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik 63, 61–90. | DOI 10.1553/joeb63s61
[19] Cupane, C. 2016. In the Realm of Eros: The Late Byzantine Vernacular Romance – Original Texts. In C. Cupane – B . Krönung (eds.), Fictional Storytelling in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond. Leiden, 95–126.
[20] Cupane, C. – Krönung, B. 2016. Introduction: Medieval Fictional Story-Telling in the Eastern Mediterranean (8th–15th centuries AD): Historical and Cultural Context. In C. Cupane – B. Krönung (eds.), Fictional Storytelling in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond. Leiden, 1–18.
[21] Goldwyn, A. – Nilsson, I. 2019. Troy in Byzantine Romances. In A. Goldwyn – I. Nilsson (eds.), Reading the Late Byzantine Romance: A Handbook. Cambridge, 188–210.
[22] Greimas, A. J. 1983. Structural Semantics: An Attempt at a Method. Transl. by D. McDowell, R. Schleifer and A. Velie. London.
[23] Hägg, T. 1991. The Novel in Antiquity. Berkeley, Calif.
[24] Messis, Ch. 2006. La construction sociale, les «réalités» rhétoriques et les représentations de l'id entité masculine à Byzance. PhD Dissertation. Paris.
[25] Messis, Ch. – Nilsson, I. 2018. Byzantine Storytelling and Modern Narratology: An Introduction. In Ch. Messis – M. Mullett – I. Nilsson (eds.), Storytelling in Byzantium: Narratological Approaches to Byzantine Texts and Images. Uppsala, 1–11.
[26] Messis, Ch. – Nilsson, I. 2019. Eros as Passion, Affection and Nature: Gendered Perceptions of Erotic Emotion in Byzantium. In S. Constantinou – M. Meyer (eds.), Emotions and Gender in Byzantine Culture. Cham, 159–190.
[27] Meyer, M. 2019. Towards an Approach to Gendered Emotions in Byzantine Culture: An Introduction. In S. Constantinou – M. Meyer (eds.), Emotions and Gender in Byzantine Culture. Cham, 3–32.
[28] Nilsson, I. 2001. Erotic Pathos, Rhetorical Pleasure: Narrative Technique and Mimesis in Eumathios Makrembolites' Hysmine & Hysminias. Uppsala.
[29] Priki, E. 2019. Dreams and Female Initiation in Livistros and Rhodamne and Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. In A. Goldwyn – I. Nilsson (eds.), Reading the Late Byzantine Romance: A Handbook. Cambridge, 69–100.
[30] Roilos, P. 2006. Amphoteroglossia: A Poetics of the Twelfth-Century Medieval Greek Novel. Washington, D.C.
[31] Smith, O. L. 1991–1992. Some Features of Structure and Narrative in the Byzantine Achilleid. Ελληνικά [Ellinika] 42, 75–94.
[32] Smith, O. L. 1999. Sexuality and Sexual Morality in Byzantine Romance. In O. L. Smith – P. A. Agapitos – K. Hult (eds.), The Byzantine Achilleid: the Naples Version. Vienna, 183–194.
[33] Stewart, K. L. 2015. Nature and Narratives; Landscapes, Plants and Animals in Palaiologan Vernacular Literature. PhD Dissertation. Oxford.
[34] Vassilopoulou, N. 2020. Sovereignty and Female Authority in the Palaiologan Romances: Consistencies and Inconsistencies with Historiographical Texts. Paper presented at the online conference The World of the Late Byzantine Romance in Context: Storytelling Across Europe (13th–15th c.), June 4–5, 2020.
[35] Whitmarsh, T. (ed.) 2008. The Cambridge Companion to the Greek and Roman Novel. Cambridge.
[36] Yiavis, K. 2006. So Near, Yet So Far: Medieval Courtly Romance, and Imberios and Margarona: A Case of De-medievalization. Byzantinische Zeitschrift 99, 195–217, doi.org/10.1515/BYZS.2006.195. | DOI 10.1515/BYZS.2006.195
[37] Yiavis, K. 2016. The Adaptations of Western Sources by Byzantine Vernacular Romances. In C. Cupane – B. Krönung (eds.), Fictional Storytelling in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond. Leiden, 127–156.
[2] Agapitos, P. A. (transl.) 2021. The Tale of Livistros and Rodamne: A Byzantine Love Romance of the 13th Century. Liverpool.
[3] Frazer, R. M. (transl.) 1966. The Trojan War. The Chronicles of Dictys of Crete and Dares the Phrygian. Bloomington [online]. Available from: https://www.theoi.com/Text/DictysCretensis1.html [16 May 2021].
[4] Lendari, T. (ed.) 2007. Αφήγησις Λιβίστρου και Ροδάμνης [Afigisis Livistrou kai Rodamnis] (Livistros and Rodamne). The Vatican Version. Critical Edition with Introduction, Commentary and Index-Glossary. Athens.
[5] Papathomopoulos, M. – Jeffreys. E. (eds.) 1996. O polemos tis Troados (The War of Troy). Athina. [Παπαθωμόπουλος, M. – Jeffreys, E. (επιμ.) 1996. Ο Πόλεμος της Τρωάδος (The War of Troy). Αθήνα.]
[6] Smith, O. L. – Agapitos, P. A. – Hult, K. (eds.) 1999. The Byzantine Achilleid. The Naples Version. Vienna.
[7] Agapitos, P. A. 1990. The Erotic Bath in the Byzantine Vernacular Romance Kallimachos and Chrysorrhoe. Classica et Mediaevalia 41, 257–273.
[8] Agapitos, P. A. 1991. Narrative Structure in the Byzantine Vernacular Romances: A Textual and Literary Study of Kallimachos, Belthandros and Libistros. Munich.
[9] Agapitos, P. A. 1993. I chronologiki akolouthia ton mythistorimaton Kallimachos, Velthandros kai Livistros. In N. M. Panagiotakis (ed.), Arches tis neoellinikis logotechnias. Praktika tou defterou Diethnous Synedriou Neograeca Medii Aevi (Venetia, 7–10 Noemvriou), vol. 2. Venetia, 197–234. [Αγαπητός, Π. A. 1993. Η χρονολογική ακολουθία των μυθιστορημάτων Καλλίμαχος, Βέλθανδρος και Λίβιστρος. Στο N. M. Παναγιωτάκης (επιμ.), Αρχές της νεοελληνικής λογοτεχνίας. Πρακτικά του δεύτερου Διεθνούς Συνεδρίου Neograeca Medii Aevi (Βενετία, 7–10 Νοεμβρίου 1991), τ. 2. Βενετία, 197–234.]
[10] Agapitos, P. A. 2004. Apo to 'drama' tou Erota sto 'afigiman' tis Agapis. To erotiko mythistorima sto Vyzantio (11ᵒs–14ᵒs aionas). In Ch. Angelidi (ed.), To Vyzantio orimo gia allages: Epiloges, evaisthisies kai tropoi ekfrasis apo ton endekato ston dekato pempto aiona. Athina, 53–72. [Αγαπητός, Π. A. 2004. Από το «δράμα» του Έρωτα στο «αφήγημαν» της Αγάπης. Το ερωτικό μυθιστόρημα στο Βυζάντιο (11ος–14ος αιώνας). Στο Χ. Αγγελίδη (επιμ.), Το Βυζάντιο ώριμο για αλλαγές: Επιλογές, ευαισθησίες και τρόποι έκφρασης από τον ενδέκατο στον δέκατο πέμπτο αιώνα. Αθήνα, 53–72.]
[11] Agapitos, P. A. 2020. The Insignificance of 1204 and 1453 for the History of Byzantine Literature. Medioevo Greco 20, 1–58.
[12] Agapitos, P. A. – Smith, O. L. 1992. The Study of Medieval Greek Romance: A Reassessment of Recent Work. Copenhagen.
[13] Ainalis, Z. 2020. Damsels in Distress? Women's Representations in the Palaiologan Romances. Paper presented at the online conference The World of the Late Byzantine Romance in Context: Storytelling Across Europe (13th–15th c.), June 4–5, 2020.
[14] Aleksidze, A. 1979. Mir grecheskogo rycarskogo romana (XIII–XIV vv.). Tbilisi. [Алексидзе, А. 1979. Мир греческого рыцарского романа XIII–XIV вв. Тбилиси.]
[15] Beaton, R. 1996. The Medieval Greek Romance. London.
[16] Beck, H. G. 1971. Geschichte der byzantinischen Volksliteratur. München.
[17] Beck, H. G. 1986. Byzantinisches Erotikon. München.
[18] Cupane, C. 2013. Una passeggiata nei boschi narrativi. Lo statuto della finzione nel "Medioevo Romanzo e Orientale". In margine a un contributo recente. Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Byzantinistik 63, 61–90. | DOI 10.1553/joeb63s61
[19] Cupane, C. 2016. In the Realm of Eros: The Late Byzantine Vernacular Romance – Original Texts. In C. Cupane – B . Krönung (eds.), Fictional Storytelling in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond. Leiden, 95–126.
[20] Cupane, C. – Krönung, B. 2016. Introduction: Medieval Fictional Story-Telling in the Eastern Mediterranean (8th–15th centuries AD): Historical and Cultural Context. In C. Cupane – B. Krönung (eds.), Fictional Storytelling in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond. Leiden, 1–18.
[21] Goldwyn, A. – Nilsson, I. 2019. Troy in Byzantine Romances. In A. Goldwyn – I. Nilsson (eds.), Reading the Late Byzantine Romance: A Handbook. Cambridge, 188–210.
[22] Greimas, A. J. 1983. Structural Semantics: An Attempt at a Method. Transl. by D. McDowell, R. Schleifer and A. Velie. London.
[23] Hägg, T. 1991. The Novel in Antiquity. Berkeley, Calif.
[24] Messis, Ch. 2006. La construction sociale, les «réalités» rhétoriques et les représentations de l'id entité masculine à Byzance. PhD Dissertation. Paris.
[25] Messis, Ch. – Nilsson, I. 2018. Byzantine Storytelling and Modern Narratology: An Introduction. In Ch. Messis – M. Mullett – I. Nilsson (eds.), Storytelling in Byzantium: Narratological Approaches to Byzantine Texts and Images. Uppsala, 1–11.
[26] Messis, Ch. – Nilsson, I. 2019. Eros as Passion, Affection and Nature: Gendered Perceptions of Erotic Emotion in Byzantium. In S. Constantinou – M. Meyer (eds.), Emotions and Gender in Byzantine Culture. Cham, 159–190.
[27] Meyer, M. 2019. Towards an Approach to Gendered Emotions in Byzantine Culture: An Introduction. In S. Constantinou – M. Meyer (eds.), Emotions and Gender in Byzantine Culture. Cham, 3–32.
[28] Nilsson, I. 2001. Erotic Pathos, Rhetorical Pleasure: Narrative Technique and Mimesis in Eumathios Makrembolites' Hysmine & Hysminias. Uppsala.
[29] Priki, E. 2019. Dreams and Female Initiation in Livistros and Rhodamne and Hypnerotomachia Poliphili. In A. Goldwyn – I. Nilsson (eds.), Reading the Late Byzantine Romance: A Handbook. Cambridge, 69–100.
[30] Roilos, P. 2006. Amphoteroglossia: A Poetics of the Twelfth-Century Medieval Greek Novel. Washington, D.C.
[31] Smith, O. L. 1991–1992. Some Features of Structure and Narrative in the Byzantine Achilleid. Ελληνικά [Ellinika] 42, 75–94.
[32] Smith, O. L. 1999. Sexuality and Sexual Morality in Byzantine Romance. In O. L. Smith – P. A. Agapitos – K. Hult (eds.), The Byzantine Achilleid: the Naples Version. Vienna, 183–194.
[33] Stewart, K. L. 2015. Nature and Narratives; Landscapes, Plants and Animals in Palaiologan Vernacular Literature. PhD Dissertation. Oxford.
[34] Vassilopoulou, N. 2020. Sovereignty and Female Authority in the Palaiologan Romances: Consistencies and Inconsistencies with Historiographical Texts. Paper presented at the online conference The World of the Late Byzantine Romance in Context: Storytelling Across Europe (13th–15th c.), June 4–5, 2020.
[35] Whitmarsh, T. (ed.) 2008. The Cambridge Companion to the Greek and Roman Novel. Cambridge.
[36] Yiavis, K. 2006. So Near, Yet So Far: Medieval Courtly Romance, and Imberios and Margarona: A Case of De-medievalization. Byzantinische Zeitschrift 99, 195–217, doi.org/10.1515/BYZS.2006.195. | DOI 10.1515/BYZS.2006.195
[37] Yiavis, K. 2016. The Adaptations of Western Sources by Byzantine Vernacular Romances. In C. Cupane – B. Krönung (eds.), Fictional Storytelling in the Medieval Eastern Mediterranean and Beyond. Leiden, 127–156.