Showing results by author "Longus" in All Categories

Daphnis and Chloe is a captivating Ancient Greek prose tale, likely penned in the second century CE by Longus. This enchanting story follows the lives of two abandoned infants, Daphnis and Chloe, each discovered with unique tokens that hint at their origins. Raised by a goatherd named Lamon and a shepherd named Dryas on the picturesque island of Lesbos, they grow up as neighbors, tending to their flocks. As they navigate the trials of young love, including daring abductions and pirate encounters, their journey is filled with adventure and heartache, ultimately leading them to a joyful ...

Daphnis and Chloe is a gem from the pen of the otherwise unknown second-century CE Greek writer Longus. It is the only work of his to survive, and little is known of him. Though perhaps overshadowed by the Roman magnificence of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (dating from a century earlier), Longus’ story entranced the choreographer Michel Fokine, who persuaded the French composer Maurice Ravel to write music for a ballet on the love story as part of the Ballets Russes’ season in Paris in 1912. Ravel, inspired, produced one of the most ravishing scores of the Impressionist period.