Tales of the Barbarians traces the creation of new mythologies in the wake of Roman expansion westward to the Atlantic, and offers the first application of modern ethnographic theory to ancient material.

Investigates the connections between empire and knowledge at the turn of the millennia, and the creation of new histories in the Roman West
Explores how ancient geography, local histories and the stories of wandering heroes were woven together by Greek scholars and local experts
Offers a fresh perspective by examining  passages from ancient writers in a new light