ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of a key factor in the transformation and transmission of myths: their Roman reception. It then turns to sample the wide spectrum of media through which myths have been transmitted and reshaped. In the twentieth century, the French scholar Georges Dumezil produced numerous studies in comparative mythology, introducing the neglected evidence of myths from the Caucasus region, particularly from Ossetic, a language descended from the Indo-Iranian subgroup of Indo-European. The Middle Ages saw the continued production of prose-handbooks and encyclopedias summarizing and explaining myths, by such authors as Fulgentius, Isidore of Seville, and anonymous commentators on the ever-popular Vergil and Ovid. Films, whether art-house or blockbuster, are undoubtedly among the most successful media at conveying ancient myth—especially the latter. The graphic novel has proven to be another ripe medium for mythic reception, with George O’Connor’s Olympian series on individual divinities reaching best-seller status.
