The traditional Diodoran scholarship has been challenged in the last decades by a revisionist approach, which concentrates on Diodorus Siculus’ contribution rather than on his lost sources. Building on that approach, this book focuses on the Bibliotheke’s first pentad, which has usually been neglected as a subject of research, and explores the author’s depictions of journeys made by gods and culture-heroes. A thorough investigation of his historiographical methods and his representation of mythical figures demonstrates that the mythological narrative is not only an essential part of his universal history, but also an important supplement to our knowledge of Hellenistic civilization, especially its mentality and historical geography. Table of contents Part I ORIGINALITY IN DIODORUS’ HISTORIOGRAPHY Chapter 1 The Genre: Universal History Chapter 2 The Use of Sources: Diodorus’ Predecessors and His Own Contribution Chapter 3 Working Methods: Emphasis on Organization and Orderly Discussions Part II MYTH AND HISTORY IN DIODORUS’ FIRST FIVE BOOKS Chapter 1 Mythical History and Actual Geography: Legendary Heroes Wandering along Real Paths Chapter 2 The Pagan Mission: Mythical Heroes in the Service of Mankind Chapter 3 Missionaries and Recipients: The Relationships between Diodorus’ Heroes and their Addressees