The aim of the project is to provide detailed narratological commentary on the Byzantine epic poem Digenis Akritis (12th cent.). The commentary will be lemmatic, analysing the poem in a linear fashion and focusing both on basic narratological categories and phenomena and on more specific themes (e.g. aptronyms, the role of formulae, the use of ekphrasis and catalogues). In addition, it will contain an extensive introduction focusing on peculiarities of medieval literature which would be hard to explain through linear commentary, such as the episodic character and the phenomenon of intertextuality. The volume is intended for publication within a series of narratological commentaries by the Brill publishing house. Some of the more complex and specific themes emerging from the analysis will be elaborated and published as independent papers. Within the project framework, an international workshop dedicated to a narratological approach to Byzantine literature will also be held.
The main output of the project will be a book-length narratological commentary on the epos Digenis Akritis. Besides this, papers elaborating some related themes will be published, an international workshop will be organized, and a one-semester course will be taught.

Publications