Daphnis and Chloe

Book 2 opens in autumn as Daphnis and Chloe help with the grape harvest. During the festival of Dionysus (the god of wine, fertility, and pleasure), the local women flirt with Daphnis, and one kisses him. In turn, the local men also flirt with Chloe, causing Daphnis to feel a pang of jealousy. After the festival, the would-be lovers are glad to return to their usual life, herding their animals together. One day, an old man named Philetas arrives and tells the pair about a beautiful, naked boy that broke into his garden to steal berries. Philetas was so overwhelmed by the boy’s beauty that he begged him for a kiss. The boy laughed at Philetas and revealed himself to be the God of Love (Eros) in disguise, who now watches over Daphnis and Chloe. Philetas explains Eros’s power and how falling in love can feel like an illness, for which the only cure is “kissing / and embracing / and lying down naked together” (28). Later, recognizing that they are in love with each other, Daphnis and Chloe begin to explore kissing and touching each other, although they are too naïve to initiate sex.