First edition. Tall 8vo, (265 x 170), illustrated, includes bibliographical references. James Rendel Harris (1852-1941) held many academic posts, biblical scholar, archaeologist and orientalist, travelled extensively in the East in search of manuscripts. His investigation on the origins of the cults of the Greek gods Dionysos, Apollo, Artemis and Aphrodite, originally the object of four lectures delivered in the John Rylands Library and which appeared at intervals in the Library bulletin. They are published here "as nearly as possible in their original form, with a few necessary corrections and expansions and justifications. ... perhaps they may suffice for the presentation of ideas which are to some extent novel, and, almost certainly, to some persons distasteful. ... there are those who, having unfortunately been familiar with the Greek gods from their earliest years, and never really detached from traditional faith in them, cannot avoid contemplating the author of these lectures as an Iconoclast..."--from the author's Preface. The Ascent of Olympus is with “Picus who is also Zeus” one of his two major works.