or ancient writers. In either case, an author would select, order, interpret, and set matters in relation to each other and to the social traditions of which he or she was a part. Nor would he or she necessarily exclude elements characteristic of fiction from the account. The writer may develop a dramatic plot, or be concerned with metaphor and imaginative description; stereotyped images may add fictional colors to the subject or move the reader to appreciate its legendary or archetypal proportions.