Travelling Heroes

This original book explores the Greeks and their myths during the age of Homeric hymns, combining historical knowledge with archeological findings and the author's own travels. It describes how eighth-century BC Greeks journeyed across the Mediterranean, shaping their ideas of gods and heroes. The book gathers stories from various ancient cultures, from Mesopotamia to modern Portugal, focusing on the Jebel Aqra, dubbed 'the southern Olympus.' Robin Lane Fox argues that Homer and Hesiod were influenced by their own countrymen's travels rather than direct Near Eastern texts, revealing how these early travelers understood the world before philosophy began.