Published 2019-07-17
Keywords
- Iamblichus of Syria,
- Babyloniaca,
- Greek Novel,
- Folktale
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to study the role played by animals in the narrative structure of Iamblichus’ Babylonian Stories. Animals directly or indirectly give the novel’s protagonists the chance to escape from difficult situations; they make possible the constant play of mistaken identities between protagonists and secondary characters; and they reveal vital pieces of information so far unknown to the characters. Comparison with the preserved Greek novels reveals that this narrative element is much more prominent in Iamblichus than it is in any other novel. We contend that the importance of the animals’ role in the narrative may be related to the use of folktale motifs withinthe Babylonian Stories.