BYZANTINE NOVEL: CHARACTERISTICS, REPRESENTATIVES AND WORKS - LITERATURE - 2025

The Byzantine novel corresponds to a literary genre that developed mainly in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries, which emerged as a search to imitate a group of Hellenistic authors rediscovered at that time, like many other Greek treasures that were found in some expeditions of the Renaissance.

The two Greek authors who were most imitated by the Spanish (who were in charge of translating and versioning these works) were called Heliodoro de Émesa and Aquiles Tacio; these Hellenics created a prose style that constitutes a series of pilgrim adventures, carried out by a pair of lovers who could not consummate their love.

Miguel de Cervantes was one of the authors who ventured into the Byzantine novel genre. Source: Attributed to Juan Martínez de Jáuregui y Aguilar

For this reason, what characterizes Byzantine novels is the realization of a journey carried out by lovers, which sustains the entire structure of the works.

To be happy together, young people must meet a series of challenges and obstacles that put their loyalty and the strength of their love to the test. Finally, both manage to overcome the vicissitudes and are united through marriage. These texts abound with moral messages and virtues, so it fit perfectly into Renaissance ideals.

The Byzantine novel flourished alongside the chivalric novels; however, the former was overshadowed by the brilliance of the other genre, which is also considered within literary criticism as a superior genre because it is more complete and mature.

Despite this, both genders share some characteristic traits, such as the spirit of adventure and the reiteration of chaste (that is, not consummated) loves. However, the Byzantine novel is erotic-sentimental in nature, since love is given more importance than heroic effort; not for this reason battles, weapons and bizarreness are lacking.

Although the Byzantine novel had its greatest apogee in Spain, several texts were also written in other European countries such as France and Italy; in fact, in France a series of works considered as the antecedents of this genre were published, such as Flores y Blancaflor and Pierres y Magalona. These adventure novels are simple and tender in nature.

Historic context

The Spanish Golden Age

The Byzantine novel as a genre emerged during the Spanish Golden Age, when great artists and writers were influenced by the new knowledge that had been acquired about the Hellenistic world. This period also represented a period of bonanzas for the Iberian Peninsula.

It is known as the Spanish Golden Age to a historical period in Spain in which there was a forceful flowering in art and literature while, at the same time, there was a political boom that later ended with the decline of the Habsburg dynasty.

A precise date for this phenomenon cannot be established; however, most historians agree that it lasted more than a century.

According to some experts, this period began in 1492, when Christopher Columbus discovered the American lands; in parallel, the Castilian Grammar written by Antonio de Nebrija, a work of notable importance within the literate elite, was disseminated.

Some consider that the Golden Age ended in 1659, when the Treaty of the Pyrenees was carried out. Instead, certain historians have established that the last great writer and artist of this period was Calderón de la Barca, who put an end to this artistic movement with his death in 1681.

Calderón de la Barca

The Byzantine novel within the Golden Age

The Byzantine novel as a literary genre was poorly received by critics at the time, despite the fact that it was read by many people and that the public was delighted with these adventures.

For many authors, the Byzantine novel was considered low-quality literature, which was intended to entertain the less educated classes.

Opinion of the authors of the Golden Age on the Byzantine novel

Miguel de Cervantes, known for having made the most important work in the Spanish language (Don Quixote), made the decision to write a work that was structured according to the parameters of the Byzantine novel; the same author established that this text would be the best of his works or the worst of his creations.

However, the criticism was not so harsh with his text entitled The works of Persiles and Sigismunda; on the contrary, this work was ignored for a long period of time, like other Cervantes books that were marginalized thanks to the resounding success that Don Quixote generated.

Other important Spanish authors were also interested in this genre; For example, there is knowledge about the approval shown by the renowned poet and playwright Lope de Vega, who praised the writers Heliodoro and Aquiles Tacio in his work Las fortunas de Diana.

However, other writers such as Tirso de Molina, among others, referred to these texts in an ironic and burlesque way. In Tirso's case, he showed his discontent with Byzantine works in one of his verses, in which he mocks both the “translated authors” and the translators, who were contemporaries of him.

At present, critics seek the vindication of all these Byzantine novels that were ignored or poorly received, since in these an important part of the Spanish and European idiosyncrasy remains.

This is so because in these texts you can find a set of ideals and values ​​with which a large number of people identified in the 16th century.

characteristics

The trip and the frustrated loves

The Byzantine novels, also called pilgrimage adventures, are mainly characterized by the realization of a journey, both physical and psychological, which must be undertaken by the two lovers before they can be together and consecrate their nuptials. This journey is what structures the story and provides cohesion to the text.

On this journey, a series of unfortunate events may occur that alienate young people, although they eventually meet again. In these texts it is common the presence of shipwrecks, as well as pirates, bandits, monarchs and princesses who, in general, wish to separate the lovers.

In most cases this love is thwarted by the influence of a third party, which makes the lovers' welfare impossible. For example, in the play The Adventures of Leucipa and Clitophon the young man must marry his stepsister Caligone, despite being deeply in love with Leucipa.

The chastity of the protagonists: a moralizing vision

One of the main characteristics of these stories is the purity of love professed by lovers, inspired by the ideal love defended by Plato, who is not seduced by sexual desires because it is a much more sublime feeling.

Despite the distance that can separate them, lovers often promise eternal fidelity and decide to keep their virginity until the moment they can get married.

For this reason, the Byzantine novel is constituted by a moralizing vision, since it defends the values ​​of purity and fidelity, these being stronger than any carnal temptation.

Structure of the work:

As usually happens in Hellenic works - as for example in The Iliad or The Odyssey - the Byzantine novel begins in medias res, which means that the story is not told from the beginning of the conflict.

On the contrary, the story can be started from another point in the plot, allowing narrative regression if an explanation of a specific event is necessary.

Likewise, pilgrim adventures are characterized by closing the story with a happy ending; This means that the author allows the solution of the conflict through the satisfaction of both lovers, who manage to find each other despite all the troubles they had to go through and can finally get married.

Representatives and main works

Clareo and Florisea's love story

This Byzantine novel was written by Alonso Núñez de Reinoso in 1552. Like most of these texts, it is inspired (or rather, an imitation) in the Greek novel Los amores de Leucipe y Clitoofonte, by Aquiles Tacio.

The works of Persiles and Sigismunda

As mentioned above, this work was written by Miguel de Cervantes in 1633 and it was the last text that this famous writer wrote. Like any Byzantine novel, it narrates the series of adventures that two lovers had to carry out in order to be together.

As used to be the case with the works of Cervantes, this text had several versions made later by other authors. This text was influenced by the Ethiopian History of Theagenes and Cariclea of ​​the Hellenic writer Heliodorus.

History of Hipólito and Aminta

This text was written by Francisco de Quintana in 1627. It was very successful among Spanish readers, for which it had up to four editions; its last reprint took place in the 19th century.

This work is more complex than the previous ones, since the author decided to write the text through a network of plans made up of a main story and several interpolated stories. Despite the Byzantine character of Historia de Hipólito y Aminta, this work also consists of other elements that fill the text with generic hybrids.

References

1. Arellano, V. (2009) Byzantine novel or Hellenizing novel? About a consecrated term. Retrieved on March 1, 2019 from Academia: academia.edu
2. Carilla, E. (1966) The Byzantine novel in Spain. Retrieved on March 1, 2019 from Revista de Filología Española: revistadefilologiaespañola.revistas.csic.es
3. Casado, A. (nd) Exile and pilgrimage in El Clareo and Florisea by Alonso Núñez de Reinoso. Retrieved on March 1, 2019 from virtual Cervantes: cervantesvirtual.com
4. Jouanno, C. (2000) The Byzantine Novel. Retrieved on March 1, 2019 from Ancient Narrative: ancientnarrative.com
5. Lepe, R. (sf) The story of Hipólito and Aminta by Francisco de Quintana: Sources and generic models. Retrieved on March 1, 2019 from DSpace: rabida.uhu.es
6. Rovira, J. (1996) The Byzantine Novel of the Golden Age. Retrieved on March 1, 2019 from ResearchGate: researchgate.net