Virginity as metaphor : reconciling tradition and imperium in Achilles Tatius
department or school: Arts, Faculty of
department or school: Classical, Near Eastern and Religious Studies, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: Gao, Dora Yuanxing
issued: 2020-05-04T18:21:40Z
issued: 2020
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: This thesis investigates Achilles Tatiusâs treatment of virginity as a metaphor for Greek tradition in his Leucippe and Clitophon. As one of the five surviving Greek novels from the Second Sophistic period, the text follows the adventures of two lovers who are separated and must weather various hardships across Egypt and Anatolia in order finally to reunite and marry. While previous scholarship on the novel has focused on genre, prose, and narrative elements, the present work approaches the text by centering its analysis on vulnerable populations associated with Artemis and her cult at Ephesus. Such a reading pushes our understanding of the Second Sophistic past usual studies of the philological responses of elite, educated men to upheaval. It instead focuses our attention on marginalized groups who have traditionally been excluded from the historical record and frames processes of cultural interaction and change as a negotiation of agency. In order to do so, this study first explores Achilles Tatiusâs construction of Artemis as a goddess defined primarily by her connection to and protection of virgins, as traditionally depicted throughout Greek mythology. By also portraying the goddess in the context of her worship at Ephesus, he simultaneously constructs her as a Panhellenic goddess and the deity of a large and influential cult within the Roman Empire. The next chapter then analyzes Achilles Tatiusâs treatment of virginity as a peculiarly feminine concern which both problematizes the institution of marriage and invites readers to consider alternate interpretations of the novelâs ending. Finally, this thesis discusses the Greek practice of asylum, specifically in the context of refuge at the Ephesian Artemisium, and the ways in which the authorâs emphasis on virgin asylum seekers both responds to Roman anxieties and depicts the custom in a positive light. Taken together, these three chapters demonstrate how Achilles Tatiusâs use of virginity as a metaphor for Greek…
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/74288
note: VIRGINITY AS METAPHOR: RECONCILING TRADITION AND IMPERIUM IN ACHILLES TATIUS by DORA YUANXING GAO A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND POSTDOCTORAL STUDIES (Ancient Culture, Religion, and Ethnicity) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) April 2020 © Dora Yuanxing Gao, 2020 ii The following individuals certify that they have read, and recommend to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for acceptance, the thesis entitled: Virginity as Metaphor: Reconciling Tradition and Imperium in Achilles Tatius submitted by Dora Gao in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Ancient Culture, Religion, and Ethnicity Examining Committee: Dr. Katharine Huemoeller (Classical, Near Eastern, Religious Studies) Co-Supervisor Dr. Anthony Keddie (Classical, Near Eastern, Religious Studies) Co-Supervisor iii Abstract This thesis investigates Achilles Tatiusâs treatment of virginity as a metaphor for Greek tradition in his Leucippe and Clitophon. As one of the five surviving Greek novels from the Second Sophistic period, the text follows the adventures of two lovers who are separated and must weather various hardships across Egypt and Anatolia in order finally to reunite and marry. While previous scholarship on the novel has focused on genre, prose, and narrative elements, the present work approaches the text by centering its analysis on vulnerable populations associated with Artemis and her cult at Ephesus. Such a reading pushes our understanding of the Second Sophistic past usual studies of the philological responses of elite, educated men to upheaval. It instead focuses our attention on marginalized groups who have traditionally been excluded from the historical record and frames processes of cultural interaction and change as a negotiation of agency. In order to do so, this study first explores Achilles Tatiusâs construction of Artemis as a godd…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2020-05
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0390324
language: eng
degree discipline: Ancient Culture, Religion and Ethnicity
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/74288