Life Chariton of Aphrodisias (Χαρίτων ὁ Ἀφροδισιεύς) authored the ancient Greek novel Chaereas and Callirhoe. He identifies himself as a citizen of Aphrodisias in Caria and a secretary to the rhetor Athenagoras [1][2]. Scholarly consensus places his activity in the 1st century CE, based on internal evidence within his work [1][2][3].

Works His sole extant work is the prose romance Chaereas and Callirhoe (Τὰ περὶ Χαιρέαν καὶ Καλλιρόην), composed in eight books of Koine Greek.

Significance Chaereas and Callirhoe is the earliest complete ancient Greek novel, establishing the genre's conventions of romantic adventure and influencing later authors [1][2]. It provides valuable insight into the popular culture and historical reception of the early Roman Empire, incorporating figures like the Persian king Artaxerxes II [1][2][3].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Chariton of Aphrodisias): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/chariton-aphrodisias/ 2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics (Chariton): https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-1566 3. Encyclopædia Britannica (Chariton): https://www.britannica.com/biography/Chariton