"Daphnis and Chloe" : The Markets and Metamorphoses of an Unknown Bestseller

Giles Barber chronicles the mixed fortunes of Longus's pastoral novel of the second-third century AD, "Daphnis and Chloe".

Since it first resurfaced in Renaissance Europe, the story has appeared in over 500 editions, in many languages, becoming possibly the most translated text of Greek antiquity this century and enjoying a widespread influence throughout the arts.

This study discusses the most notable editions, and some of the events and scandals of its long publishing history.

This is the published record of the fourth series of Panizzi Lectures, held at The British Library in December 1988 to celebrate the achievements of the pioneering 19th-century librarian, Sir Anthony Panizzi.