Heliodorus’Aethiopicanarrates the adventurous journey of a couple through Egypt to the kingdom of Meroe in Ethiopia where they get married. To increase the plausibility of this story Heliodorus uses his knowledge of Rome’s trade activities in the East and he even introduces some characters involved in trade ventures in those regions (e.g. Nausicles) at crucial moments of its development. On the other hand, Heliodorus’ references to luxurious products of Eastern and African origin, as well as to exotic animals or tribes, are recurring elements (orleitmotifs) that are consciously interspersed throughout the novel. Those references not only serve to unify a carefully planned plot and guide the reader to an intended conclusion, but also to map the idealised Ethiopia and its neighboring subjected regions (inhabited by some fantastic tribes), where the protagonists will eventually live.

中文翻译：

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Heliodorus'Aethiopica的商人通往乌托邦之路

赫利奥多罗斯埃塞俄比亚讲述一对夫妇穿越埃及到埃塞俄比亚梅罗王国的冒险旅程，并在那里结婚。为了增加这个故事的合理性，赫利奥多鲁斯利用他对罗马在东方的贸易活动的了解，他甚至介绍了一些在这些地区（例如 Nausicles）发展的关键时刻参与贸易活动的人物。另一方面，Heliodorus 提到的来自东方和非洲的奢侈品，以及外来动物或部落，都是反复出现的元素（或主旨) 有意识地穿插在整部小说中。这些参考资料不仅有助于统一精心策划的情节并引导读者得出预期的结论，而且还描​​绘了理想化的埃塞俄比亚及其邻近地区（居住着一些奇妙的部落），主角最终将居住的地方。