This article provides an analysis of lovesickness in Heliodorus’ Aethiopica: in picturing princess Charicleia as lovesick, the novel shows the influence of several models, both literary and medical. As a result, Heliodorus’ representation appears to be close to the Hippocratic Corpus in relation to pathology, whereas the physician Acesinus diagnoses Charicleia’s illness relying on differential diagnosis, that is on a Galenic method. In the final part the therapeutic approach of the priest Calasiris may express a view of lovesickness as a mental illness.

The princess, the priest and the physician. Notes on the representation of lovesickness in Heliodorus' Aethiopica (3.7-11, 4.6-7)

Savino, Christina
2022-01-01

Abstract

This article provides an analysis of lovesickness in Heliodorus’ Aethiopica: in picturing princess Charicleia as lovesick, the novel shows the influence of several models, both literary and medical. As a result, Heliodorus’ representation appears to be close to the Hippocratic Corpus in relation to pathology, whereas the physician Acesinus diagnoses Charicleia’s illness relying on differential diagnosis, that is on a Galenic method. In the final part the therapeutic approach of the priest Calasiris may express a view of lovesickness as a mental illness.
2022
Greek novel
Heliodorus
Lovesickness
Medical theories
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14245/8639
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