Animation and the Ancient World

Abstract Animation and the Ancient World fills a gap among reception studies of ancient Greece and Rome by offering an extended chronological and thematic treatment of the vivid and diverse world of animation featuring the ancient world. It explores how ancient stories, handed down in mythology, history, and philosophy, have been remixed and revitalized in this unique medium in a guided selection of sixteen chapters, each of which engages directly with the ancient Mediterranean world broadly conceived, through a range of case studies from animated film and television. In the first section, “Heroes,” the chapters survey familiar figures from ancient mythology—Hercules, Odysseus, and Icarus—and reflect on the enduring popularity of these heroes and their journeys in animation. The second section, “Worlds,” expands outward from the heroic realm and contemplates how animation enables the re-creation of fantastical ancient landscapes, which in turn give rise to innovative retellings and reuse of ancient material. The last section, “Histories,” features five chapters that move into the realm of the real and utilize animation as a means of reconceiving the events of the Greco-Roman past in vivid, memorable, and sometimes subversive ways. The contributions adopt a global perspective, not limited to North America: each section includes chapters dedicated to animation in Europe and in East Asia as well. Animation and the Ancient World aims to become a foundational text for further work in this burgeoning area of Classical reception.