Monsters and Monarchs

Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History

De: Debbie Felton

Narrado por: Alexandra Bitton-Bailey

Jack the Ripper. Jeffrey Dahmer. John Wayne Gacy. Locusta of Gaul. If that last name doesn’t seem to fit with the others, it’s likely because our modern society largely believes that serial killers are a recent phenomenon. Not so, argues Debbie Feltonin fact, there’s ample evidence to show that serial killers stalked the ancient world just as they do the modern one.

Felton brings this evidence to light in Monsters and Monarchs, and in doing so, forces us to rethink the assumption that serial killers arise from problems unique to modern society. Exploring a trove of stories from classical antiquity, she uncovers mythological monsters and human criminals that fit many serial killer profiles: the highway killers confronted by the Greek hero Theseus, such as Procrustes, who tortured and mutilated their victims; the Sphinx, or “strangler,” from the story of Oedipus; child-killing demons and witches, which could explain abnormal infant deaths; and historical figures such as Locusta of Gaul, the most notorious poisoner in the early Roman Empire. Redefining our understanding of serial killers and their origins, Monsters and Monarchs changes how we view both ancient Greek and Roman society and the modern-day killers whose stories still captivate the public today.

The book is published by University of Texas Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

"Engagingly written and presented...a good introduction to Greek mythology..." (The Classical Review)

"An interesting, thought-provoking read about classical stories of violence…Recommended." (CHOICE)

"Thought-provoking, persuasive, and a lot of fun to read." (Craig Gibson, author of Interpreting a Classic: Demosthenes and His Ancient Commentators)

©2021 Debbie Felton (P)2022 Redwood Audiobooks

interesting take on myths

I have to agree with the author. People have always come up with stories to explain what the do not understand. human nature being what it is, it is more than possible that serial killers have been around as long as humans have.

Top Performance

I believe the cover does this book a disservice it’s not just about the ancient world it’s really tying the whole philosophy of serial killers and relating modern serial killers to ancient serial killers and understanding that the idea of horrible people want to kill multiple people has been an ancient ideology. The reader was suburb even at 1.5 speed. It was easy to understand and enjoy listening to.