Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men: Reclaiming the Stories of Mythology's Most Iconic Women, Goddesses, and Female Monsters

Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men: Reclaiming the Stories of Mythology's Most Iconic Women, Goddesses, and Female Monsters

$26.40

Review Quotes: "Gold reclaims the narratives of mythological women, shedding light on their strength, resilience, and complexity. From goddesses and warriors to witches and monsters, this book reimagines ancient archetypes, offering fresh perspectives that resonate...

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Description

Review Quotes:
"Gold reclaims the narratives of mythological women, shedding light on their strength, resilience, and complexity. From goddesses and warriors to witches and monsters, this book reimagines ancient archetypes, offering fresh perspectives that resonate with contemporary readers." -- Annette Giesecke, author of Classical Mythology A to Z

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1: Homemaker

  • Gaia
  • Rhea
  • Demeter and Persephone
  • Penelope
  • Pandora
  • Pasiphaë
  • Lamia
Chapter 2: Virgin
  • Athena
  • Artemis
  • Hestia
Chapter 3: Warrior
  • Amazons
  • Srikandi
  • Atalanta
  • Joan of Arc
  • Valkyries
  • Sehkmet
Chapter 4: Femme Fatale
  • Aphrodite
  • Helen of Troy
  • Clytemnestra
  • Calypso
Chapter 5: Witch
  • Hecate
  • Medea
  • Circe
  • Kurangaituku
Chapter Six: Madwoman
  • Maenads
  • Women of Lemnos
  • Furies
  • Cassandra
  • Hera
Chapter 7: Monster
  • Medusa
  • Ceto
  • Scylla and Charybdis
  • Sirens and Mermaids
  • Echidna
  • Chimera
  • Sphinx
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
Index

Biographical Note:
Mara Gold is a writer, performer, and researcher completing her PhD in Classics at the University of Oxford, where she specializes in women's classical reception and scholarship through the lenses of modern gender, sexuality and feminism. She has written chapters for titles published by Bloomsbury ( Ancient Egypt in the Modern Imagination; Women Creating Classics) and Cambridge University Press. She has also written and performed for stage, radio, and screen, and works with museums on LGBTQIA+ storytelling, access, and outreach. As a disabled and autistic lesbian, she is extremely passionate about championing access. Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men is her first book.

Review Quotes:
"Mara Gold's Ancient Myths & Legends Without Men offers an intriguing collage of women's roles in myth that bridges past and present, to uncover not only what women are doing in myth, but why they still matter today. In so doing, the volume offers a relevant, readable, and beautifully-presented overview of many women of ancient myth, opening the lid on women's tales and showing the diverse ways in which their stories can and should be re-interpreted." -- Dr. Emily Hauser, author of Mythica

Review Quotes:
"A worthy addition to women's studies collections." -- Library Journal

Review Quotes:
"Nuanced and enlightening, [ Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men] succinctly relays the origin stories of contemporary empowerment symbols. Ancient mythology buffs and feminists will find much of interest." -- Publishers Weekly

Review Quotes:
"Classical scholar Gold makes a lively, informative book debut with a look at seven archetypes of mythological women... An entertaining take on ancient tales." -- Kirkus Reviews

Review Citations:

  • Kirkus Reviews 02/15/2026 (EAN 9798894142739, Hardcover)
  • Publishers Weekly 03/23/2026 (EAN 9798894142739, Hardcover)
  • Library Journal 04/01/2026 pg. 72 (EAN 9798894142739, Hardcover)
  • Booklist 04/03/2026 (EAN 9798894142739, Hardcover)