Next to the Ninus Romance, to which more attention has been paid, the most interesting fragments of Greek Romance are the so-called Chione Fragments, which have been recently re-edited by Lavagnini. Before discussing the problem of their significance, it is necessary briefly to recapitulate their history.

‘Heliodori Aethiopica, sive Fabula … complectens amores castos Theagenis et Chancleae Libris X quorum singuli, quoad initium et finem, cum editione Graeca Basil[iensi] MDXXXIV. 4. collati, cum ipsa penitus consentire comperti sunt.… ‘Codex Graecus Chartaceus Ms. in 8 Saec. XV plurimis in locis manu Saec. XVI suppletus. Constat foliis scriptis 211.’.

There seem to be five manuscripts of the Aethiopica of Heliodorus which are of value for establishing the text: To these may be added with some doubt three others.

In a previous article I attempted to show the relationship between the most important MSS. of the Aethiopica, and to fix the basis on which the text ought to be built. The object of the present enquiry is to go more deeply into the history of the Xylander MS., which was only lightly touched upon then, and to estimate the value of another MS., which received no treatment at all.