"Where is the Bird of Fire?" by Thomas Burnett Swann / Mass Market Paperback,155 pages. Published 1970 by Ace Books - The source of Rome [Amazon Customer Reviews]: Ancient Italy, mythic origins of Rome in the VIII Century B. C. -- Bucolic I think is the term. It gives such a taste for the "outdoor living?", the more natural life. T. B. Swann was much ahead of his time or just in step with a smaller group who realized that fate of man was strongly intertwined with that of nature. Paganism seems such a hard oversimplifying term , holistic is more up to date. He called it the "Great mother" now they speak more of Gaia. This is the kind of fantasy that gives you direction and hope in times of pollution....
[About the Author]: Thomas Burnett Swann was best known as the author of numerous fantasies published in the 1960s and ’70s. Many of his bucolic tales were set in the Ancient World and populated by mythic creatures. His best-known works include the novel DAY OF THE MINOTAUR and the shorter works “Where Is the Bird of Fire?” and “The Manor of Roses,” all nominated for Hugo Awards. Swann was also a poet, professor, and literary critic.