Hirtenroman und Satyrspiel: Zum literarischen Verhältnis zwischen Longos und Sositheos’ Daphnis oder Lityerses

This paper focuses on a largely neglected aspect of the literary background of Longus’ Daphnis and Chloe, namely the genre of satyr play and more specifically the hellenistic satyr drama Daphnis or Lityerses of Sositheus. Such intertextual connection not only provides additional evidence for the major impact of Sositheus and for the survival of the Hellenistic drama in the Roman period but also sheds new light on the plot of the novel, on the actions of its main characters and not least on the much discussed issue of the Dionysiac element of this work.