Narrating Love. The Amorous Value System in Palaiologan Romance Literature

Many Palaiologan Romances share an evident common feature: they are stories about love – the union and reunion of the amorous couple, their expression of feelings, the devotion to their partner and their bodily unification. These elements are what drive the story forward and lead to the happy conclusion in the end. But Love is not only the topic of these texts. It is also what supplies the storyworld in which the romances are set with values and morals. Characters may or may not act upon these, and the narratorial voice supports or condemns different situations. This paper comprises a literary analysis of different Palaiologan romances (Livistros and Rhodamni, Velthandros and Chrysantza, Kallimachos and Chrysorrhoi, The Tale of Achilles, Florios and Platziaflore, and Imperios and Margarona) aiming at the depiction of the value system inherent in the storyworlds. On a macrostructural level, the narratorial voice, the choices of subplots, and characters are relevant elements. The analysis of the microstructure focuses mainly on characterization and plot. The abstract concept of Love can be personified in the character of Eros, who as king demands a certain behaviour from his vassals, the lovers. The hero and heroine are portrayed according to specific amorous values and their actions are driven by their submission to Eros. The analysis aims at tracing the underlying value system and how it is portrayed on a narrative level. Love is what drives the characters, the plot, the narration, the narrator and the text itself. By using methods and terminology from narratology, this paper focuses on the literary depiction of love and its values and thus offers an element for a deeper understanding of fictional literature from the period.