Chariton of Aphrodisias' 'Callirhoe' is the first Greek novel transmitted to us in its entirety, thanks to a manuscript, codex Florentinus Laurentianus Conv. Soppr. 627 (F), dated to the end of the 13th century. Three papyri (ca. 200 AD) and the so-called Codex Thebanus (7th century), which is now not extant, are witnesses to brief passages of the text. A comparison of the text transmitted by F and the papyri with the text of the Thebanus shows significant divergences, which cannot always be explained away as ordinary copyist mistakes.

These divergences are collected in the critical apparatus of this new edition, together with the numerous conjectures made by scholars. A succinct and full introduction offers the keys to Chariton's language and text. In sum, this critical edition takes account of the more recent developments in the research on Chariton's text and serves as reference text for the accompanying commentary on this novel by M. Baumbach and M. Sanz Morales.