About the fantastic in ancient literature

The article is dedicated to the analysis of the concept of “the fantastic” that is one the essential notions of modern literature. The research provides more data on the history of the concept derived from the Greek word «τὸφανταστικόν». The article offers other Greek and Latin names and notions for designating something imaginary, fantastical, illusionary, fabulous, transcendental and miraculous. For the first time it studies the evolution of “the fantastic” notion in Ancient literature and of an antagonistic concept of “mimesis” which means “the representation of reality in actions” by Aristotle (Arst. Poet. IV 1448 b 39-40). Based on Greek and Latin authors’ literary works the article asserts constant existence of the fantastic in Ancient literature, philosophy, historiography and science, contrary to a longstanding authoritative tradition that refers the fantastic to the periphery of Ancient culture. The article presents the ways of comprehension of the Ancient tradition of correlating the fantastic with mimesis, the mythological with the rational in literature of the Modern period.