Achilles Tatius, Sophistic Master of Novelistic Conventions

Abstract

The most shocking of the ancient novels, Achilles’ Leucippe and Clitophon pushes the boundaries of the genre, from the novel's sophistic style, its unusual structure, and its representation of contemporary social issues to its daring manipulation of novelistic conventions. Influenced by the Second Sophistic literary movement, Achilles’ novel has a sophisticated literary style, full of rhetorical and sophistic devices. As master of his genre and no slave to convention or form, Achilles has merited from scholars both praise for his playful treatment of novelistic convention and criticism for his unconventional approach to the genre. His masterful use of novelistic convention is a most promising area for new exploration.

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