8 h 38 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 8 h 38 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if love arrives before you have the words to name it?
On the island of Lesbos, Daphnis and Chloe grow up among goats, sheep and changing seasons. Both are foundlings, raised by country people. As spring fills the fields with birdsong and blossom, their friendship stirs into feelings neither understands. Dorcon, a rival for Chloe, makes their innocent confusion harder to bear.
This collection brings together Daphnis and Chloe, the Greek pastoral romance by Longus, and Legends of the Ancient East, linked here with Juan Valera. The romance stands at its heart: a tender, gently comic story of desire, nature and learning. Alongside it, fragments of Eastern legend invite you into another world of ancient storytelling.
What you’ll discover
- Love before words Share Daphnis and Chloe’s bewilderment as familiar companionship becomes a feeling they cannot explain.
- A countryside alive Follow birds, lambs, flowers and weather as the seasons mark the lovers’ awakening.
- Rivals among the flocks Meet Dorcon, whose gifts and cunning disturb the young pair’s tender bond.
- Stories within the story Discover the tale of Syrinx, the nymph who flees Pan and becomes reeds.
- Beyond the Greek fields Explore fragments of ancient Eastern legend alongside the pastoral world of Longus.
Who will love it
You will love this if you enjoy pastoral love stories, Greek myth and the countryside seasons, or if you are curious about how a nineteenth century novelist imagined the oldest courts of Asia.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Kindness gives two children a home
- Love arrives before its name
- A herdsman gives love a name
- The gods answer threatened innocence
- Desire meets the barrier of poverty
- Power presses upon the lovers
- Innocence needs guidance rather than mockery
- Imagination enters the gaps in history
- Longing connects love and imagination
Who’s who
- DaphnisA foundling nursed by a goat and raised by Lamon, he plays the pipe, tends goats and learns what his feelings for Chloe mean.
- ChloeA foundling nursed by a ewe and raised by Dryas, she tends sheep, loves Daphnis and does not know what ails her.
- LamonThe goatherd who finds Daphnis and raises him with his wife Myrtale, he hopes the boy will rise above their poor station.
- DryasThe shepherd who finds Chloe in the cave of the Nymphs and weighs rich suitors against his hope that her true parents will appear.
- DorconA bearded cowherd who courts Chloe with gifts and tricks, and who proves loyal when danger comes.
- PhiletasAn old herdsman and flute player who tells of meeting the god Love in his garden and teaches the young pair.
- LycaenionA young wife from the city who notices Daphnis's tears and teaches him what he does not know.
- GnathonA greedy parasite of the master's son who falls for Chloe and tries to take her by force.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
Daphnis and Chloe & Legends of the Ancient East
Two foundlings, a boy fed by a goat and a girl by a ewe, grow up and fall in love.
Challenging5–10 hours to readEnglish
Learn a language with challenging classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then USD 0.14 a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
Picture a hunter on the island of Lesbos who wanders into a grove sacred to the Nymphs. There he finds a painting full of love: babies left in the wild, shepherds caring for them, young people falling for each other, robbers and an enemy raid.
Daphnis and Chloe & Legends of the Ancient East at a glance
- Reading time
- About 5 h 10 min4 h 5 min fast, 6 h 10 min slow
- Length
- 73,900 words
- Library level
- Challenging long sentences, a rich vocabulary
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A goat and a ewe raise two foundlings
The story opens in the countryside near Mytilene on Lesbos. A goatherd named Lamon sees one of his goats slip away from her own kid. He follows her and finds her nursing a baby boy, who lies in a purple blanket with a gold clasp beside a small ivory-hilted dagger.
Lamon thinks of taking the valuables and leaving the child. Then he feels ashamed to show less pity than a goat. He and his wife Myrtale adopt the boy and call him Daphnis.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- Language
- English
- Level
- Challenging
Cite this edition
Valera, Juan, and Longus. Daphnis and Chloe & Legends of the Ancient East. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/daphnis-and-chloe-legends-of-the-ancient-east.
Valera, J., & Longus. (2026). Daphnis and Chloe & legends of the ancient East. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/daphnis-and-chloe-legends-of-the-ancient-east
Valera, Juan, and Longus. Daphnis and Chloe & Legends of the Ancient East. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/daphnis-and-chloe-legends-of-the-ancient-east.
@book{valera2026daphnis,
author = {Valera, Juan and Longus},
title = {Daphnis and Chloe \& Legends of the Ancient East},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/daphnis-and-chloe-legends-of-the-ancient-east}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Daphnis and Chloe & Legends of the Ancient East
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Daphnis and Chloe about?
It tells of two foundlings, a boy nursed by a goat and a girl nursed by a ewe, who grow up as shepherds on Lesbos. Over four books they learn what love is through kisses, dangers, dreams and the help of the gods.
Who are Daphnis and Chloe?
Daphnis is a goatherd found as a baby by Lamon, and Chloe is a shepherdess found by Dryas in a cave of the Nymphs. Both were left with rich tokens, which hint that they come from higher families.
What are the Legends of the Ancient East?
They are an essay and two unfinished tales by Juan Valera. The essay explains his interest in Persia, India and Assyria, while Lulu, Princess of Zabulistan follows King Tihur and Zarina follows the Median nobleman Estrianges.
The author
Juan Valera
1824–1905 · Spanish novelist and diplomat
Juan Valera was a Spanish writer and diplomat born in Cabra, Spain, in 1824. He wrote novels, short stories, poetry, and literary criticism. His novel Pepita Jiménez appeared in 1874. His diplomatic work took him to several countries in Europe and the Americas. He died in Madrid in 1905.
More by Juan Valera; Longus
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
