Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preliminary Material / John L. Hilton -- Copyright Page / John L. Hilton -- Sigla / John L. Hilton -- The structure of Book 3 / John L. Hilton -- Book 3: Text, Translation, and Commentary / John L. Hilton -- The Structure of Book 4 / John L. Hilton -- Book 4: Text, Translation, and Commentary / John L. Hilton -- Appendix 1 Passages from Pseudo-Eustathius (4th or 5th century) Commentary on the Hexaemeron (Migne PG 18) / John L. Hilton -- Appendix 2 List of Characters in the Novel / John L. Hilton -- Appendix 3 Maps and Illustrations / John L. Hilton -- Appendix 4 Statistics / John L. Hilton.

This volume presents a new account, informed by recent scholarship on ancient narrative fiction, of a world that calls to mind the scenes of the Palestrina mosaic, with ships traversing the Nile delta, hippopotamus hunting, religious processions and festivities, and leizurely sightseeing. The commentary argues that the author was most probably an erudite Alexandrian with a polymathic interest in topics as diverse as the arrival of the phoenix in Heliopolis, contemporary art, medical theories of the function of blood in causing psychological imbalances in the young, herbal remedies for poisoning, and the colour of Nile water in glass.

English

Description based on print version record.