ABSTRACT
This chapter traces the tradition of 'theriophily' from classical writing up to the Romantic period, explores the sources on which Lord Byron drew and provides a philosophical background to literary approaches to animals in general in early-nineteenth-century English writing. Theriophily makes an important contribution to satire, since it consists in demonstrating animals' superiority over humankind by praising animals' instinctive wisdom and placing human beings in a sceptical and derogatory light. The chapter illustrates certain features: the way in which Byron appears as both a typical exemplar of, and a polarized opposite to, many of the characteristic approaches to animals in his era. The Romantic era is a rich source of material because it was then, in the context of a new emphasis on nature, that debate was intensely articulated both about animals' difference from human beings and also about their similarity. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
