Sophrosune In The Greek Novel Reading Reactions To Desire Rachel Bird by Rachel Bird 9781350108646, 9781350108677, 1350108642, 1350108677 instant download after payment.

This book offers the first comprehensive evaluation of ethics in the ancient Greek novel, demonstrating how their representation of the cardinal virtue sophrosune positions these texts in their literary, philosophical and cultural contexts. Sophrosune encompasses the dispositions and psychological states of temperance, self-control, chastity, sanity and moderation. The Greek novels are the first examples of lengthy prose fiction in the Greek world, composed between the first century BCE and the fourth century CE. Each novel is concerned with a pair of beautiful, aristocratic lovers who undergo trials and tribulations, before a successful resolution is reached.
Bird focuses on the extant examples of the genre (Chariton’s Callirhoe, Xenophon of Ephesus’ Ephesiaca, Longus’ Daphnis and Chloe, Achilles Tatius’ Leucippe and Clitophon and Heliodorus’ Aethiopica), which all have the virtue of sophrosune at their heart. As each pair of lovers strives to retain their chastity in the face of adversity, and under extreme pressure from eros, it is essential to understand how this virtue is represented in the characters within each novel. Invited modes of reading also involve sophrosune, and the author provides an important exploration of how sophrosune in the reader is both encouraged and undermined by these works of fiction.
Rachel Bird provides the first comprehensive analysis of the concept of sophrosune in the ancient Greek novels. This concept encapsulates the ethical dispositions of self-mastery, moderation, decency and chastity in ancient Greek thought. In the novels it is primarily represented as the virtue which restrains sexual desire and motivates chastity and fidelity. Bird’s approach throws light on how this concept is intrinsic to the novels, allowing for the central romantic relationships to flourish despite the trials and tribulations which the fictional lovers endure. The role of characterization is crucial, with each character’s possession of sophrosune carrying differing nuances and implications. Bird also explores the ways in which gender influences characters’ approach to the virtue, and she demonstrates that male and female sophrosune may have similar results, but they can stem from different motivations. In looking at characterization, Bird uses methodologies such as narratology and intertextuality to elucidate the implications of characterized sophrosune. Aside from looking at how the concept is represented within these texts, Bird also considers how the role of sophrosune in readerly response is a crucial concern for the authors of the novels. The reader’s sophrosune acts to temper both the erotic drive of the narratives and the issue of readerly voyeurism, ensuring that a balanced and intellectually rewarding reading experience is encouraged. Bird shows how this virtue is central to the self-definition of characters and readers. It is intrinsic to the cohesion of the novels and its centrality in these texts indicates its importance beyond them.