His broad point is that hermeneutics has multiple and con- flicting histories, extending back before the origins of writing itself. He discusses the importance of Ancient Greece as a possible starting place for any perspective on hermeneutics’ origins, but as he argues it is impos- sible to really trace back hermeneutic practice to a clear starting point. One of the reasons for Bruns’s perspective is that he places little empha- sis on the etymology of the term ‘hermeneutics’ but looks instead to an analysis of the act of interpretation as he believes it was performed by our ancient predecessors