I would like to begin this volume by expressing my gratitude to some scholars who have generously devoted their time to reading some or all of these pages, have made suggestions and comments that have improved this book immensely, and most particularly, have thus demonstrated their interest in my work and allowed me to participate in an academic dialogue in which, for obvious reasons, I have always been one who has learnt and benefitted. I am first and most especially grateful for the help of Fritz Graf, Jan Bremmer and David Konstan. Other colleagues have allowed me to present some of the arguments that appear in this book at their universities, including Maria Cannata (University of Messina), Lucio Ceccarelli (University of L’Aquila), Luisa de Nazaré Ferreira (University of Coimbra), and Nuno Simôes (University of Lisbon). Anonymous reviewers for Bloomsbury Publishing were very helpful, and I appreciate their valuable advice.
I also thank Alice Wright and Emma Payne at Bloomsbury Academic for the enthusiasm and enormous kindness with which they welcomed this book proposal.
Lastly, I am grateful to Nancy Clarneau for the patience she has shown when translating these pages.
Marta González González
May 2018