L'ISOLA DI LESBO NEL ROMANZO DI LONGO SOFISTA

This doctoral thesis aims to provide the reader with a geographical analysis of Longus’ depiction of the island of Lesbos. In the first chapter, I sketch in broad outline the birth and growth of geographers’ concern about literary texts and literary descriptions of landscapes and places. However, note that such a concern seems, so far, to have overlooked Greek and Roman literature: geographers have investigated exclusively modern and contemporary literary texts. In the second chapter, after briefly introducing to ancient Greek novel, its authors, its audience and its features, I focus specifically on Longus and his Pastoralia. The third chapter examines some scholars’ hypotheses about the possible topographical realism in the novelist’s portrayal of Lesbos. Finally, the fourth chapter analyses the lesbian landscape of the novel in order to reach a conclusion concerning Longus’ Lesbos. I will try to answer a fundamental question: does Longus describe the real Lesbos in his novel or does he create a fictional island without any relationship with the real world?