Reinventing 'The Invention of Tradition'?

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Thirty years ago Eric Hobsbawm and Terence Ranger introduced "The invention of tradition" as a concept to explain the creation and rise of certain traditions in times of profound cultural change. Taking stock of current theoretical understandings and focusing on the Roman world, the volume explores invented traditions as a means to understanding processes of cultural innovation. Whereas the concept is highly influential in Roman Studies concerned with the Greek eastern Mediterranean, other regions with their "traditions" have been largely neglected, and the western part of the Roman Empire has virtually been ignored altogether. The volume therefore aims to critically evaluate the usefulness of "The invention of tradition" for studies of the ancient (Roman) world, in particular regarding the western part of the Roman Empire and in relation to other traditions besides Greek. Why were some traditions forgotten, others invented, while some (simply) continued? The actuality of the topic in general - references to the past as a means of legitimization in a changing world - is highlighted by many recent debates. Can "the invention of tradition" be seen as a common human characteristic occurring throughout world history?