Diodorus' Mythistory and the Pagan Mission ─ Historiography and Culture-heroes in the First Pentad of the Bibliotheke

Sulimani (history, Hebrew U. and U. of Haifa) explores elements in the first set of surviving fragments of Greek historian Diodorus Siculus' (60-30 BC) masterpiece. She begins by investigating his originality--an issue of contention down centuries of scholarship--in terms of the genre of universal history, his predecessors and his own contribution, and his emphasis on organization and orderly discussions. Turning to myth and history in the first five books, she discusses mythical history and actual geography making for legendary heroes wandering along real paths, and the relationships between his heroes and their addressees. Her translations and transcriptions are designed to make the study accessible to non specialists. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Iris Sulimani, Ph.D. (2004) in History, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, teaches at the Hebrew University and the University of Haifa. She has published articles on Semiramis’ journey in Diodorus (SCI 24, 2005), and on Diodorus' source-citations (Athenaeum 96, 2008).