During the gestation of this book, I have not lacked for support and material assistance from many people. My sincere thanks go to the following persons who have contributed to, corrected, and encouraged my work: Chris Dadian, Carol Dougherty, Judith Feher-Gurewitch, Carolyn Higbie, Stephanie Jamison, Claudine Kahan, Leslie Kurke, Françoise Létoublon, Hotze Mulder, Dan Petegorsky, Ian Rutherford, Richard Sacks, Rae Silberger, Charles Stewart, Douglas Stewart, Brent Vine, and Calvert Watkins. I owe special gratitude to Richard Martin and Steven Lowenstam, superb critics who read the manuscript in its final stages with creativity, tact, and understanding. Finally, there are some people without whom there would be no book to begin with: first of all, Gregory Nagy, who should have abandoned his faith in me long ago, and whose brilliance and loyalty have been my inspiration; Tim O’Reilly and his friends, whose idealism and companionship have been crucial to my morale; Jacopin, who taught me more about myths and performers than I can ever acknowledge; and Mimie, to whom I dedicate this work, who defended my time with it, and from whom I continue to learn about anger, friendship, and waiting until the end.

L.M.

In addition to all of those mentioned above, for whom my gratitude is undiminished, my sincerest thanks now go to Claudia Filos, who brought more patience, care, and skill to the recreation, correction, and tagging of this work than I have a right to expect. Without her help, and that of Noel Spencer and Dan Cline, to whom I am also deeply grateful, it would not have been brought to this state.

L.M., March 2016