From Enargeia to Immersion: The Ancient Roots of a Modern Concept

Abstract

This article argues that the modern notion of immersion, a reader being absorbed in a virtual world to such a degree that she experiences it as if it were the actual world, has a predecessor in the ancient notion of enargeia, "the power of bringing the things that are said before the senses of the audience." First, it discusses how ancient Greek literary critics theorized about enargeia. Since these critics praise Homer as an author who is particularly capable of achieving enargeia, its second objective is to examine the narrative techniques by which he immerses his audience in his story world.

STATUE FEVER IN THEHEROICUS

“…46This is a hyperbolic version of what recent literary theorists have called ‘enactive immersion’ or ‘metalepsis’. See Allan, de Jong and de Jonge (2017); Grethlein and Huitink (2017). …”

Another Tale of Anger, Honour, and Love: Achilles in Philostratus’ Heroicus

“…1460a11-19.13 Il. 18.203-229.14 On enargeia, immersion, and metalepsis (all relevant for this passage), seeAllan et al 2017.…”