The Adventures of Theagenes and Chariclea

The Adventures of Theagenes and Chariclea (c. 3rd-4th century C.E.) is an ancient Greek romance novel by Heliodorus of Emesa. Rediscovered in manuscript form in the sixteenth century, the novel is written in the tradition of Homer and Euripides, and has since been recognized as foundational to the development of the novel as a literary form.

When she is born with white skin, Chariclea, the daughter of King Hydaspes and Queen Persinna of Ethiopia, threatens to bring scandal to the royal family. Fearful of being accused of adultery, the queen makes the tragic decision to give her newborn to a philosopher named Sisimithras, a philosopher. In his care, Chariclea is taken to Egypt to be raised by a Pythian priest named Charicles. One day, a Thessalian hero named Theagenes arrives in Delphi, where he meets Chariclea, now a renowned priestess. The two fall in love and embark on a journey that will bring them face to face with pirates, bandits, and the royal parents of Chariclea themselves. A classic work of romance and adventure, The Adventures of Theagenes and Chariclea was influential for Byzantine Greek writers and was read, adapted, and admired by such novelists as Miguel Cervantes and Aphra Behn. As an object of classical scholarship, it has proved instrumental not only for divining a link between the poets and dramatists of the ancient world and the writers of the early modern era, but for understanding the development of the novel as a cultural product and popular form of literature.

With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Heliodorus of Emesa’s The Adventures of Theagenes and Chariclea is a classic of ancient Greek literature reimagined for modern readers.