xv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INSPIRED IN PART by the eidetic images of the wicked robot Maria in
the silent film Metropolis (1927) and the bronze android Talos in Jason
and the Argonauts (1963), I started collecting ancient literary evidence
for animated statues many years ago. I began to think seriously about
how ancient Greek myths expressed ideas about artificial life in 2007,
when I was asked to write a historical essay for the Biotechnique Exhibit
catalogue, curated by Philip Ross at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San
Francisco. My essays about Talos and Medea’s experiments in rejuvena-
tion appeared in the history of science website Wonders and Marvels in
- In 2016, the editors of Aeon invited me to write an essay about the
modern relevance of classical Greek myths about biotechne, life by craft.
I presented a preview of this book in a public lecture at the Art Institute
of Chicago on March 18, 2017, “The Robot and the Witch: The Ancient
Greek Quest for Artificial Life.”
Many friends and colleagues read and commented on drafts of chap-
ters at various stages. I’m especially grateful to my dear readers Marcia
Ober, Michelle Maskiell, Norton Wise, and Josiah Ober for their close
attention and valuable suggestions for revisions. Many others shared
expertise and knowledge of ancient texts, images, ideas, and sources.
My thanks to Linda Albritton, Laura Ambrosini, Theo Antikas, Ziyaad
Bhorat, Larissa Bonfante, Erin Brady, Signe Cohen, John Colarusso,
Sam Crow, Eric Csapo, Nick D., Armand D’Angour, Nancy de Grum-
mond, Bob Durrett, Thalassa Farkas, Deborah Gordon, Ulf Hansson, Sam
Haselby, Steven Hess, Fran Keeling, Paul Keyser, Teun Koetsier, Ingrid
Krauskopf, Kenneth Lapatin, Patrick Lin, Claire Lyons, Ruel Macaraeg,
Ingvar Maehle, Justin Mansfield, Richard Martin, David Meadows, Vasi-
liki Misailidou- Despotidou, John Oakley, Walter Penrose, David Saun-
ders, Sage Adrienne Smith, Jeffrey Spier, Jean Turfa, Claudia Wagner,
Michelle Wang, and Susan Wood. I’m grateful to Carlo Canna for his
essential help in obtaining images from Italian museums and to Gabriella