Monsters and monarchs : serial killers in classical myth and history

Author / Creator

Felton, Debbie, author

Available as

Online

Physical

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 i...

"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"--

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