This book is based upon my doctoral dissertation which I completed at Durham University. I wish to thank most warmly the Department of Classics at Durham for their support during my time there, as well as the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the British Council for their financial support. I am most grateful to all those who helped me with the thesis, and hope they will accept collectively my sincerest thanks. In particular, I owe much to Professor P. J. Rhodes, who supervised the thesis, and who has been an unfailing source of help and encouragement. I would also like to thank Associate Professor G. R. Stanton and Associate Professor P. G. Toohey, both of the University of New England, Australia, who started me thinking about philia.

The preparation of the book for publication has been completed while I have been a British Academy Post-doctoral Fellow at Oriel College, Oxford, and I would like to thank the British Academy for sponsoring this project, and also the Provost and Fellows of Oriel College for hosting the award. The staff of the Bodleian and Ashmolean libraries have also dealt sympathetically and patiently with my many requests.

A large number of people have also discussed my work with me, and have provided me with many valuable insights into problems and ways forward. Warmest thanks must go to the many friends and colleagues with whom I have had many interesting and enlightening discussions.