Jacques Amyot and the Greek Novel: The Invention of the French Novel

Abstract

The Greek novel a priori comes as a surprise in any study of the Classical heritage. Jacques Amyot's choice of printers and other bibliographic evidence might also be proof of a different attitude toward his translations of the Greek novels. Amyot's translation of the Aethiopica was the leading model for novelistic creation until the publication of La Princesse de Cleves in 1678. Although the production of the heroic novel which it inspired decreased from the 1660s, its decline was slowed by the fact that it continued to be much read and edited. Amyot was convinced that people are guided more by their passions than their reason and entendement, a view typical of the generation of the Counter-Reformation which found its fullest expression in the Baroque style. Consequently, he believed that it is necessary to use the means of the passions to serve the ends of reason and understanding. Keywords: Aethiopica ; Baroque style; Greek novel; Jacques Amyot

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