Books by Achilles Tatius

Leucippe and Clitophon, written in the second century CE, is exceptional among the ancient romances in being a first-person narrative: the adventures of the young couple are recounted by the hero himself. Achilles Tatius' style is notable for descriptive detail and for his engaging digressions.

Leucippe and Clitophon, composed in the second century AD, is the most bizarre and risque of the five 'Greek novels' of idealized love between boy and girl that survive from the period of the Roman empire. Achilles' narrative covers adultery, violence, evisceration, pederasty and virginity-testing and in execution is subtle, stylish, moving, brash, tasteless, and obscene.

Stretching the idealized, "boy-meets-girl" genre to the limits, Achilles Tatius' narrative covers adultery, violence, pederasty, virginity-testing, and, of course, an improbable happy ending. Detailed notes explain obscurities and address complex problems for the benefit of the readers.