In spite of the growing amount of important new work being carried out on uses of myth in
particular ancient contexts their appeal and reception beyond the framework of one culture
have rarely been the primary object of enquiry in contemporary debate. Highlighting the fact
that ancient societies were linked by their shared use of mythological narratives Wandering
Myths aims to advance our understanding of the mechanisms by which such tales were disseminated
cross-culturally and to investigate how they gained local resonances. In order to assess both
wider geographic circulations and to explore specific local features and interpretations a
regional approach is adopted with a particular focus on Anatolia the Near East and Italy.
Contributions are drawn from a range of disciplines and cross a wide chronological span but
all are interlinked by their engagement with questions focusing on the factors that guided the
processes of reception and steered the facets of local interpretation. The Preface and Epilogue
evaluate the material in a synoptic way and frame the challenging questions and views expressed
in the Introduction.
