CHORALITY, POLYPHONY, AND MUSICALITY IN THE AETHIOPICA BY HELIODORUS OF EMESA.

Abstract

Is it possible to find some kind of 'chorality' in The Aethiopica? What is chorality, and how would it be presented or be present in the novel in question? To discuss these questions, I propose to begin with Claude Calame's idea of 'choral polyphonies' and Bakhtin's idea of 'polyphony' (as explained by Fusillo), used to characterize the novel as a dialogical and intertextual genre par excellence. First, it is important to remember that Heliodorus was heavily influenced by theater, and this is evident in the numerous allusions, quotations, and theatrical parodies throughout his narrative. But can we, based on this, speak of 'chorality' in the novel? Marcus Mota, in his book Audiocenas, discusses the process taken by him to extract melodies from the novel's text. It is also interesting to remember that The Aethiopica has been a work sometimes used for different types of theatrical and musical adaptation. So, at the very least, we can speak of a latent 'musicality' present in this text.