Bruce Merry Encyclopedia of Modern Greek Literature 3

Catholic: “Oppositc was thc seat of the kingdom of Ronie, Which is a vessel of all arrogancc and dcccilful opinion.” Si mi lar attitudes to thc Friars m incdieval Crctc make it equally likcly thc author was ()rthodo\. The work bccamc a fa-vorite of the lay public and went through scvcral editions: 1534. 1543. 1553, 1627, 1648. 1668, 1683. and 1721.

Bergadis relates what he saw in a drcam. after he climbed up onto the Trcc of Life to taste honey. The branches snapped. and he was pitchcd into an abyss, dropping into the moutlt of a dragon. He linds the dead in the Under-world sorrowing ovcr whether they arc lost to the living, wondering if the world abovc remembers them at all. The corpses ask the travclcr for information on this. and he responds malevolcntly tliat it is rare for the living to remember the dead. Pcrhaps their mothers still think of them. but their widows havc quite for-gotten. The dead yearn to regain the world above. They give Bergadis mes-sages to take baek to their lamilies (a mo-tiffrom Heli. in Dante s DmneComedy. c. 1307). Bergadis fccls a pang of terror

APOL.LONIUS OF TYRE (c. late fnurtcenth century) The Tale of the Sondy Tricd Apollonius ofTyre is a Circek translation in 857 unrtiyming political lines of a version of thc Latin Historia ApoUonii reyis Tyrii (?6th century A.D.). The latter is probably drawn from a llcl-lenistic source (third fourth century a.d.). The Latin version acquired a Christian slant. cvcntually influcncing Chaucer and Shakcspearc. It providcs the basie plot of John Gowers poem. Confessio Amanlis (1390). and Shake-speares tragedy. Perides. Prince ofTyre (1608/9).

What is the basie plot of this romance? Apollonius. his wifc, and ncw-born daughter arc separated during a sea journey. Lach thinks thc others have died: “Thasia had this habit of going to the cemctcry. Wherc she mourncd for her nanny. beforc turning baek: / Theophilos was lying there in hiding; / Suddcnly he leapt out and grabbed the woman. / And drew his sword to slay her. / She wept and said to him *Why. what evil have I done?* / The man answered her as fol-