Silvia Montiglio is Basil L. Gildersleeve Professor of Classics at Johns Hopkins University. Her previous books include Silence in the Land of Logos (2000, paperback 2010); Wandering in Ancient Greek Culture (2005); From Villain to Hero: Odysseus in Ancient Thought (2011); Love and Providence: Recognition in the Ancient Novel (2013); and, most recently, The Spell of Hypnos: Sleep and Sleeplessness in Ancient Greek Literature (I.B.Tauris, 2015).

• INTRODUCTION 1The Scope of this Book 1The (Nebulous) Origins of the Tale and its (Nebulous)Literary Beginnings 111. SEDUCTION, LOVE AND ATHLETICISM: LEANDER(AND HERO) IN ROMAN LITERATURE AND CULTURE 15The Exemplary Lover 15Why will Leander Swim? Heroides 18 and 19 20From Emblem of Lust to Bridegroom 37Hero’s Selfishness According to Fronto 41Not Only a Love Story 43Outside Literature 482. MUSAEUS’ HERO AND LEANDER, OR ‘LOVEAGAINST THE WORLD’ 59A Brief Introduction 59Darkness and Light 60The Bold Lover 67The Fearless Swimmer 73Leander’s Native Land 79The Obstacles to the Couple’s Marriage 81The Urgency of Passion 84Love Conquers All 88A Neoplatonic Allegory? 943. LUSTFUL FORNICATORS OR COURTLY LOVERS?THE LEGEND IN MEDIEVAL EUROPEAN LITERATURE 101Part One: Neo-Latin Texts 101Part Two: French Literature 116Part Three: Germany and the Low Countries 140Part Four: Italian and Iberian Literature 1484. THE TALE AS MUSAEUS TOLD IT: HERO AND LEANDERIN MEDIEVAL GREEK LITERATURE AND THEDIFFUSION OF MUSAEUS’ POEM IN EUROPE 177Musaeus’ Fame in the Byzantine Period 177The Novelistic Musaeus 185Caring About Locality: East Versus West 197And They Loved Happily Ever After: The Sequel to theTale According to Giovanni Grasso 200Musaeus Enters Western Europe, or How to Advertisea Poet 204EPILOGUE Looking Back and Looking Forward 217