Xenophon of Ephesus (Ξενοφῶν ὁ Ἐφέσιος) was a Greek author of the 2nd century CE during the period of the Roman Empire known as the Second Sophistic [1]. The 10th-century Byzantine encyclopedia, the Suda, identifies him as the author of the romance Ephesiaca and other works, though modern scholars consider this potentially conflated with other figures [1][2]. His name implies an origin in Ephesus, but no independent verification of his biography, education, or social background exists.

His sole surviving work is the prose romance Ephesiaca (Ἐφεσιακά), or The Ephesian Tale of Anthia and Habrocomes, in five books. Some scholars argue the extant text may be an abridged version of a longer original [1][2].

Xenophon is significant as one of the five authors whose ancient Greek romantic novels survive complete, alongside Chariton, Achilles Tatius, Longus, and Heliodorus [1]. The Ephesiaca is often viewed as the most stylistically straightforward of these romances, establishing core genre conventions of separated lovers, adventure, and reunion. It provides crucial insight into popular literature and the cultural milieu of the Greek-speaking eastern Roman Empire [1][2].

Sources 1. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/xenophon-ephesus/ 2. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics: https://oxfordre.com/classics/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-6932 3. Perseus Digital Library: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0141