Book Description

These three 14th century medieval Greek romances, which are presented here for the first time in English translation, form part of a curious and previously neglected corner of literature. While they owe much to the ancient and medieval Greek novel, the romances have obviously been influenced by Western romances, which were introduced to the Greek world after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 to the Fourth Crusade. Their position at the beginning of modern Greek literature is due in no small part to their disregard of the stuffy formalism of many Byzantine authors. The three poems translated here are original compositions, not adaptations of Western romance. The mannered presentation of courtly love which they show, sometimes with a distinctive Byzantine flavor, provides a fascinating reinterpretation of the Western tradition. A general introduction examines the genre and the unusual circumstances in which it began. Individual introductions analyze the particular features and problems of each poem.