Mapping Epistolary Fiction in Antiquity and Beyond

While research on ancient letters is increasing, one area remains under-explored: epistolary fiction. Collections of letters belonging to this literary genre are rarely studied (and rarely edited or translated), and their number is underestimated. This is due to an inadequate conceptual framework: too often, these letters are still considered “authentic” documents that can serve as historical evidence. This article aims to map the forms and scope of this literary genre. By highlighting its main characteristics through various examples, I hope to propose a new framework for analysing epistolary fiction in antiquity and beyond. I will begin by examining collections of fictional letters by well-known authors, before moving on to so-called pseudonymous letters and more problematic collections, using comparison and serialisation, while paying attention to issues of textual transmission.