Roman Mythology

All Roads Lead to Rome, as the famous saying goes. The sites and events throughout the ancient world provided Romans with a rich tapestry to weave the stories of their past. Rome itself was a melting pot of peoples from across the Mediterranean and beyond, each bringing their myths and legends of heroes and heroines, gods and goddesses.

Whether for aristocrats dressing up for a banquet, or bloodthirsty audiences in the amphitheatres thrilled to watch condemned criminals forced to enact the roles of mythological creatures, Roman myths formed the backdrop to the rituals and customs of everyday life.

Roman Mythology offers a fresh approach, beginning with a brief, evocative description of each location and landscape, followed by its associated myths and stories, as well as any rituals performed there in antiquity. Drawing on the great works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Plutarch, Ovid, Horace, and Virgil, and enhanced with maps, illustrations, and a gazetteer providing practical information about the sites today, this book offers a fresh look at a subject of great fascination.