Acknowledgments; Introduction: Myths of Europe, and Myths of Europe; Europa/Europe: Myths and Muddles; Electras and Hamlet; Myths of Europe: Ted Hughes's Tales from Ovid; Myths of Masculinity: Adonis and Heracles; St Nicholas, Icon of Mercantile Virtues: Transition and Continuity of a European Myth; Re-writing a Myth: Dryden's Amphitryon and its Sources; 'A Foundling at the Crossroads': Fielding, Tradition(s) and a 'Dantesque' Reading of Tom Jones; Viewing the Moon: Between Myth and Astronomy in the Age of the Enlightenment.
Summary
Myths of Europe focuses on the identity of Europe, seeking to re-assess its cultural, literary and political traditions in the context of the 21st century. Over 20 authors - historians, political scientists, literary scholars, art and cultural historians - from five countries here enter into a debate. How far are the myths by which Europe has defined itself for centuries relevant to its role in global politics after 9/11? Can 'Old Europe' maintain its traditional identity now that the European Union includes countries previously supposed to be on its periphery? How has Europe handled relations.
