Romance

Romance, literary term identified with fiction usually depicting idealized love. Romances typically contain nonrealistic characters and plots and use elements of fantasy or adventure. The ancient Greek romance, Daphnis and Chloë, written c.A.D. 200, is considered to be the first great romance. The genre reached its height in the Middle Ages with the tales of King Arthur. In the 19th century, romances contained a strong element of mystery and the supernatural.