“Daphnis and Chloe” by Long: pastoral drama as mystery and philosophical parable

The article offers a hermeneutic reading of Long's novel “Daphnis and Chloe” as a semiotic structure where the pastoral ideal is intertwined with philosophical allegory and mystery symbolism. The author explores the key episodes and multi-layered symbolism of the text from the perspective of allusions to Plato's dialectic of Eros and Orphic-Dionysian mysteries revealing its sacred and initiatory meanings. The analysis shows that the conflicts and trials on the path of the protagonists function as ritual obstacles that facilitate their transition to maturity and realization of the true nature of love. Music, dance and mythopoeic narratives structure their experience, preparing them for the final event.