Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents v
3. Acknowledgments vii
4. A Note on the Translations and Editions xi
5. Introduction 1
6. 1. Universal Myths of Origin: Boccaccio and the Golden Age Motif 24
7. 2. Local Myths of Origin: The Birth of the City and the Self 77
8. 3. The Myth of a New Beginning: Boccaccio’s Palingenetic Paradise 141
9. 4. The Myth of Historical Foresight: Babel and Beyond 210
10. Notes 243
11. Works Consulted 329
12. Index 347