xvi acknowledgments
Tassinari for her generous discussions of Etruscan gems. Thanks to Mar-
garet Levi, the Berggruen Institute, and the Center for Advanced Study
in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, for supporting my research Sep-
tember 2018– May 2019. Sincere gratitude is due to my excellent agents
Sandy Dijkstra and Andrea Cavallaro. At Princeton University Press, I’m
indebted to the anonymous readers for thoughtful critiques, to Dimi-
tri Karetnikov for help with illustrations, to Jason Alejandro and Chris
Ferrante for design, and to the nimble copyediting of Lauren Lepow.
Thanks to Dave Luljak for indexing. I have benefited, as always, from the
insights and enthusiasm of my editor Rob Tempio.
I’m fortunate to be able to call on my sister, Michele Angel, for amaz-
ing artistic skills and technical advice about illustrations. Barbara Mayor,
my mom, is a proofreading marvel. I’m lucky to have such a wonderful
brother, Mark Mayor— I know he remembers how much we enjoyed
watching the movie Jason and the Argonauts together. Most of all, I’m
forever thankful for Josh, esteemed companion of my heart and mind,
and a truly good man.