Letters in Narrative Literature

Carolina Cupane

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Chapter 15 Letters in Narrative Literature

In: A Companion to Byzantine Epistolography

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Carolina Cupane

Carolina Cupane
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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 403–427

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004424616_017

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Abstract

Letters have always held a firm place in historical and in fictional narratives. In ancient historical writing they functioned as authenticating marks, which assured the truth of the context. In fictional narratives of love and adventure from the Hellenistic era, letters served to recapitulate prior facts and to foreshadow future ones. Letters could also tie together different narrative threads thus making a complicated plot more intelligible to the audience. In all these cases letters gave the author the opportunity to display his rhetorical skills. These rules remained unchanged in Byzantine historical and fictional writing, which heavily relied on ancient models. Although exceedingly imitative, Byzantine romances also show some innovative features such as the lyrical love letters in the novel by Niketas Eugenianos, and to an even greater extent the love-correspondence in the anonymous vernacular romance Libistros and Rodamne. Furthermore, such lyrical inserts are valuable examples for the genre of love poetry, of which little is present in Byzantine literature.

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A Companion to Byzantine Epistolography

Series: Brill's Companions to the Byzantine World, Volume: 7

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004424616

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 10 Jun 2020

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Chapter 15 Letters in Narrative Literature

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A Companion to Byzantine Epistolography

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