evolved some way from his Indo-European beginnings. Similar con-
siderations apply to the traditions of the other peoples that fall within our
purview.
However, the case of Zeus and his many cognates in the other traditions
(Chapter 4) proves that some elements of Indo-European theological heritage
were preserved in widely separated regions. One factor that favoured their
survival was the persistence of poetic traditions of a conservative nature. We
shall see in the next two chapters how shared features of poetic theory,
diction, and imagery and of stylistic and metrical technique attest the con-
tinuity of these traditions from a common origin. It is reasonable to hope
for the preservation in them of at least some mythological themes of equal
antiquity.
Introduction 25