The pastoral loves of Daphnis and Chloe


Read by LibriVox Volunteers

(4.2 stars; 4 reviews)

Daphnis and Chloe is an Ancient Greek prose work, probably written during the second century CE, by Longus. It tells the story of two young people, Daphnis and Chloe, both abandoned at birth along with some identifying tokens. A goatherd named Lamon raises the boy Daphnis as his son, and a shepherd called Dryas finds Chloe, and also decides to raise her. They both grow up as neighbors herding the flocks in the island of Lesbos. They fall in love with each other, but have to go through many adventures and hardships, including abduction and pirate attacks, until they find their happy ending. (Summary by Leni) (3 hr 8 min)

Chapters

Book the First 43:54 Read by Anamika
Book the Second 50:35 Read by Rapunzelina
Book the Third 43:08 Read by Rapunzelina
Book the Fourth 51:09 Read by Bonita Dominguez

Reviews


(3 stars)

A story about two young people in love on the island of Lesbos in ancient times when nymphs and Roman gods intermingled with people. This work reads like a children's fairytale. The characters are naive and clueless, the action simplistic, the plot idealistic, and at the end they lived happily ever after. The reason for this idyllic prose style is given by Britannica: “The general tone of this romance is dictated by the quality prescribed by ancient critics for the bucolic genre - glykytes, a “sweetening “ of the pastoral life.” It is a total opposite to Romeo and Juliet in its simplicity and idyllic setting. How is it then that this pastoral literature, which is the first pastoral romance ever written, not only survived but thrived for centuries amongst the artistic communities? How is it that it inspired the creation of its own prose style sixteen centuries later? How is it that based upon it many operas, movies, paintings, ballet, and works of poetry were created? The answer is simple - Daphnis and Chloe by Longus is that good.


(5 stars)

truly fascinating glimpse into the Pastoral life a truly fascinating