EIN KYKLADISCHES HERODESSPIEL IN PROSAGRIECHISCH ZUR ZEIT DER TÜRKENHERRSCHAFT IM ARCHIPELAGUS [2002]

Abstract

A Herod play from the time between 1650 and 1750, from the Jesuit archives on the Island of Syra in the Cyclades, has recently been published in a critical edition. It provides a kaleidoscopic set of images from the high Baroque of an elaborate Christmas play with a total of eight threads of action. As the first drama in prose in New Greek literature, it stands as a significant enrichment of our knowledge of Greek drama in the Baroque epoch. The work contains churchly and theological ductus as well as passages of folk speech and dialect. There are also more than forty stage directions in Italian, which indicate a likely performance. A whole series of items of folkloric interest may also be found, including the first mention by name of the Greek twelfth demon kalikantzari.