Intertextuality in the Egyptian books of Achilles Tatius' Leukippe and Kleitophon

Abstract

This thesis explores intertextuality in the books of Achilles Tatius’ (henceforward AT) Leukippe and Kleitophon (henceforward L&C) which are set in Egypt (i.e. 3.6-5.14). L&C is distinctly intertextual and intratextual, even by the standards of the ancient novel genre, and its intercultural complexity is more sophisticated and multifaceted than has previously been realised. I will demonstrate that the Egyptian books’ intertexts are Near Eastern (including Egyptian) as well as Greek and Roman, reflecting the polyglot, multicultural nature of Roman Egypt. Previous studies of intertextuality in L&C have not explored in detail the possibility that the Egyptian locations chosen by AT for certain key events have significance. I suggest that the myths and history of the chosen locations have a previously unexplored relevance to pivotal events in the main narrative. I argue that there is an increase in the novel’s intertextual density and complexity when the protagonists reach Egypt. This has two key effects. First, it gives the Egyptian episodes a surreal, dream-like quality. Characters from the intertexts can rarely be mapped onto characters from the main narrative with a straightforward one-to-one equivalence. This leads to fragmented, conflated and fused identities; identities which refuse to remain static, ever-changing like the identities of characters in a dream. Second, these shifting identities created through intertextuality, characterise Egypt as a land of metamorphosis. I suggest that whilst the image of a metamorphic Egypt is far from unique in ancient literature, AT is unique in showcasing Egypt’s metamorphic character subtly through intertextuality. I propose that AT purposefully created a highly intertextual piece of literature, aware that by choosing myths with several variants, character names known from several different sources, and events which have counterparts in history, myth and fiction, he was eliminating the possibility of one ‘correct’ interpretation of his story.