Undermining Masculine Self-Representation through Narrative Irony in Rhodanthe & Dosikles (c. 1130–1140)

In his opening monologue, the hero of the novel, Dosikles, declares his fitness to endure the trials of captivity ἀνὴρ γάρ εἰμι καὶ μάχαις συνετράφην / καὶ μυρίος ἤλθησα πολλάκις μόθους (1.116-117) but worries for his beloved Rhodanthe as a γυνὴ θαλάμῳ καὶ τρυφαῖς εἰσθισμένη / σὰρξ ἁπαλή, πρόχειρος εἰς πᾶσαν νόσον (1.119-120). Invoking military prowess as a standard for elite masculine behaviour and associating elite women with softness and vulnerability evokes an entirely normative view of gender in twelfth-century Constantinople. Yet, over the course of the novel, this gendered self-representation is repeatedly undermined by the events of the plot and the reactions of other characters: Dosikles never engages in any combat, and his only threats of violence are against his own person; he vaunts his talents as an orator, another important facet of Byzantine masculinity, but his speeches provoke boredom in his friends (2.432) and, unlike his friend Kratandros, he makes no attempt to reason his way out of being sacrificed (8.355-515). The gap between Dosikles’ words and his actions, between the character’s view of himself and the impression the audience is given of him, produces a comedic effect and casts doubt on the gender norms that he affirms. This presentation will explore how the author, Theodore Prodromos, exploits this narrative irony to paint a more ambiguous portrait of his hero than might at first be assumed and to call into question the contemporary expectations for wealthy young men.