John F. Miller - Tracking Hermes, Pursuing Mercury

After discussing the project of a collaborative interdisciplinary approach to Hermes and Mercury for many years, we were fortunate finally to bring together a group of scholars for the conference Tracking Hermes/Mercury at the University of Virginia in March of 2014. The papers delivered at that symposium form the basis of the present volume. We are grateful in the first instance for the funding that made the conference possiblefrom the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Ancient History Fund, the McIntire Department of Art, and the Department of Classicsto the Classics staff, Shelly Rojas and Glenda Notman, for making arrangements and going well beyond the call of duty during the conference; to our graduate students and colleagues for so generously helping to host visitors for the event. For chairing sessions and other intellectual contributions to the symposium we are particularly grateful to Anna Stelow, Tyler Jo Smith, Kelly Shannon, Jon Mikalson, Gregory Hays, Coulter George, John Dobbins, Jane Crawford, Stphanie Paul, Deborah Boedeker, and Shane Black.

Many have assisted in bringing this book to fruition. Anonymous referees at two stages helped with shaping the volume and with many other useful suggestions. At Oxford University Press, Charlotte Loveridge encouraged the project from the start and saw us through the initial stages; Georgina Leighton expertly and patiently stewarded the book to publication. Our two editorial assistants, Megan Bowen and Matthew Pincus, helped mightily with preparation of the copy. Above all, we thank the contributors to the volume for their stimulating scholarship and their collegial spirit.

John F. Miller , Jenny Strauss Clay