In this concise but wide-ranging study, Luc Brisson describes how the myths of Greece and Rome were transmitted from antiquity to the Renaissance. He argues that philosophy was responsible for saving myth from historical annihilation. Although philosophy was initially critical of myth, mythology was progressively reincorporated into philosophy through allegory. Brisson reveals how philosophers employed allegory and how it enabled myth to take on a number of different interpretive systems throughout the centuries: moral, physical, psychological, political, and even metaphysical.

About the Author
Luc Brisson is director of research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France. He is the author of several books, including Plato the Mythmaker, published by the University of Chicago Press. Catherine Tihanyi, a research associate at Western Washington University, has translated a number of books for the University of Chicago Press, including Adam Biro's Two Jews on a Train.

Reviews
"A compressed overview with moments of great insight.... Its strengths lie in the details Brisson is able to work into this brief treatment." - Peter Struck, Journal of Religion "This wonderful book confirms Brisson's status as one of the major authorities in the field of classical antiquity. Overall, and with this excellent translation, the book is invaluable." - Choice"



Book Information
ISBN 9780226075372
Author Luc Brisson
Format Paperback
Page Count 221
Imprint University of Chicago Press
Publisher The University of Chicago Press
Weight(grams) 340g
Dimensions(mm) 22mm * 16mm * 1mm