Monsters and Monarchs : Serial Killers in Classical Myth and History / Debbie Felton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Felton, Debbie, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Serial murderers--History.

Serial murderers.

Serial murders--History.

Serial murders.

True crime stories.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (235 pages)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Austin, TX : University of Texas Press, [2021]

Summary:

"Although serial killers are often thought to be a recent phenomenon, with accounts frequently beginning with Jack the Ripper, Felton aims to demonstrate that serial killers were nearly as common in the ancient world as they are in the modern one, using evidence from Greek and Roman history and folklore. She argues that the evidence from classical antiquity very strongly suggests that the existence of serial killers was recognized thousands of years ago and that, despite popular belief, serial murders are certainly not just a relatively recent development. Mythological monsters as well as human criminals described by ancient authors fit various serial killer profiles down to very specific details. This book investigates these stories and more to shed light on the centuries-old phenomenon of serial killing. Felton draws frequent comparisons to modern-day killers like Jeffrey Dahmer or John Wayne Gacy and their methods, while also bringing in other instances from across the centuries as further examples"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction. Serial killers in the ancient world

Identifying serial killers then and now

Methods to the madness

What motivates serial killers across the ages

Murderous Greek roof-tiles and other legal problems

Murder and the advantages of roman citizenship

The popularity of serial poisoning

Heracles and the headhunters

Theseus and the highway killers

How boxing moved from serial murder to Olympic sport

Serial murders in local legends

Serial slaying of suitors and spouses

Witches and other child-murderers

Serial murder then and now, there and here

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781477323052

1477323058

OCLC:

1256447006