In:The Reality of Women in the Universe of the Ancient Novel
Edited by María Paz López Martínez, Carlos Sánchez-Moreno Ellart and Ana Belén Zaera García
[IVITRA Research in Linguistics and Literature 40] 2023
► pp. 173–180
Chapter 11The home life of a heroine
The winter of Chloe’s discontent in Longus
Published online: 1 December 2023
https://doi.org/10.1075/ivitra.40.11sla
https://doi.org/10.1075/ivitra.40.11sla
Abstract
Within the seasonal structure of Daphnis and
Chloe, Longus’s brief portrayal of winter contrasts with
pastoral idealism elsewhere to foreground a sharper realism, especially in
the lives of the title characters. In scenes not easily paralleled in other
Greek novels, Chloe experiences realities of life for women in pastoralist
households, rendering her temporarily ἀμήχανος
(“helpless”). Winter thus disrupts the symmetries of experience for heroine
and hero. Although Daphnis initially appears more active in attempting to
overcome the separation, benevolent chance and Chloe’s newfound ability to
work within domestic constraints restore sexual symmetry and renew forward
movement of the plot.
Keywords: ἀμηχανία, Daphnis and Chloe, domesticity, Longus, pastoral, realism, sexual symmetry, τέχνη, winter
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