Palaephatus, a contemporary of Aristotle, sought to reinforce belief in the historicity of ancient heroes by tracing the evolution of 'actual' events into marvelously embellished myths. On Unbelievable Tales represents one of the earliest efforts to rationalize oft-told tales of Greek mythology.
Also available:
The Interpretation of Dreams & Portents in Antiquity - ISBN 0865162565
The Hero and the Sea: Patterns of Chaos in Ancient Myth - ISBN 0865165084