Humour in the ancient Greek novels: the theoretical conceptions and the literary practice

The topic of the study entitled humour in the ancient greek novels: the theoretical conceptions and the lite- rary practice is significance of humour in ancient Greek novels. In the first part of this study the theoretical aspects are examined with reference to the conceptions of contemporary researchers of Greek novels. The influence of the humour on the character of the world presented in particular novels is considered in the second part of the article.The main aim of this paper is to consider the significance of humour in ancient Greek novels: how far this phenomenon is discussed in the theoretical reflection on this literary genre, as well as how important is its role in the works of singular novelists. In the first part of the article, which is entirely devoted to theoretical aspects, the definitions and functions of the humour, which are proposed by contemporary researchers of Greek novels, are analysed. Special attention is paid to the possibility of using humour as a fundamental criterion for classifying ancient Greek novels. This proposal is finally questioned for the reason, among other things, that it creates many new inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the chronology of par- ticular novels and the whole genre. In the second part of this paper the leading question is whether and how the phenomenon of humour shapes the character of the world presented in Greek novels. While in the oldest novels of Chariton and Xenophon the humour, it seems, does not play an important part, other novelists make use of it not only willingly, but in an original and sophisticated way as well. The effect of it is that humour becomes one of very important tools used to create meanings of particular ele- ments and even the whole text. Taking into account such different elements as a way of presenting a love plot, some traits of leading characters, the model of ego-narration and finally some literary devices such as qui pro quo, we can also discern that humour in the novels of Longos, Achilleus Tatios and Heliodor enables the readers to be involved into a sophisticated play in convention of the genre. At the same time in Longos’ and Heliodor’s novels humour allowed to create a really serious and moralizing message