Clitophon the Moichos: Achilles Tatius and the Trial Scene in the Greek Novel

Abstract

The rhetorical qualities of Achilles Tatius’ Leucippe and Clitophon are often noted; this article argues that the novel exhibits an equally legalistic orientation. The trials in Ephesus that dominate the novel’s final two books are a sustained variation on the trial scene, an important topos in the Greek novels. The ambiguous relationship of Clitophon and Melite sets in motion a complex legal dilemma. The narrative framework in which the trial scenes are embedded allows the reader to assess the ‘truthfulness’ of the inset speeches and the efficacy of the law.