14 - [ΘΕΟΔΩΡΟΣ ΠΡΟΔΡΟΜΟΣ] Theodorus Prodromus: [Τα κατά Ροδάνθη και Δοσικλέα] Les Amours de Rhodante et de Dosicles. Paris, 1746

[ΘΕΟΔΩΡΟΣ ΠΡΟΔΡΟΜΟΣ] Theodorus Prodromus: [Τα κατά Ροδάνθη και Δοσικλέα] Les Amours de Rhodante et de Dosicles. Paris, 1746 First edition in French of this 12th-century Byzantine novel. Small 8vo. Contemporary leather over boards. Text clean and bright. Complete: half-title, title, [4], 84 pp. Overall in fine condition, a lovely copy. Theodoros Prodromos, an early 12th-century Greek writer, was highly esteemed by his contemporaries, particularly for his satirical poems, many of which survive. His Τα κατὰ Ροδάνθην καὶ Δοσικλέα (Rhodanthe and Dosikles) is one of the monuments of Byzantine literature (cf. Καρρά–Μαυροειδή, Θεόδωρος Πρόδρομος: Τα κατά Ροδάνθη και Δοσικλέα, Thessaloniki, 2018). In the 12th century, Hellenistic-style novels reappeared with complex narratives of love and adventure. This work exemplifies that revival. Centuries later, in mid-18th-century France, Byzantine literature became fashionable once again, as the aristocratic and prosperous classes saw parallels with their own society-valuing refinement, heroic deeds, and gentle love. A Byzantine novel, here published in French for the first time.