Chariton's Callirhoe , subtitled "Love Story in Syracuse," is the oldest extant novel. It is a fast-paced historical romance with ageless charm. Chariton narrates the adventures of an exceptionally beautiful young bride named Callirhoe, beginning with her abduction by pirates--adventures that take her as far as the court of the Persian king Artaxerxes and involve shipwrecks, several ardent suitors, an embarrassing pregnancy, the hazards of war, and...