Of Myths and Maps

Abstract

This chapter introduces the topic of the spatial dynamics of myth in antiquity. It provides an overview of recent advances in this field relating both to the study of ancient Greece and to the interrelationship of stories to land in other cultures and at other periods. It argues that, although making connections between stories and landscape is a universal phenomenon, care must be taken to understand the exact dynamics of the story–landscape nexus in any particular culture. It uses the myths of Heracles to illustrate four key features of the spatial dynamics of myth in antiquity, and then provides an overview of the chapters of the volume.