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Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men
Rediscover legendary tales from Ancient Mythology, centred around the stories of women, perfect for fans of Mythos, Circe, Pandora and Clytemnestra in this beautifully-illustrated bold feminist retelling of ancient mythological stories, written by expert classicist Mara Gold.
Discover the goddesses, warriors, witches, and monsters who shaped and subverted womanhood from the very beginning ...
Homemaker. Virgin. Warrior. Witch. Madwoman. Monster.
The labels applied to mythological women echo throughout history. These archetypes, created in the Ancient World, still resonate today.
From the stories of the virgin goddesses Athena and Artemis, the contrasting depictions of wifely duty in Clytemnestra and Penelope, the ecstatic frenzies of the Maenads, Echidna—the so-called mother of all monsters—and the misunderstood Medusa, Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men reveals a world where powerful women were both worshipped and feared.
Accompanied with beautiful illustrations throughout, uncover the real stories behind the women of Ancient Mythology and find what they can teach us about being a woman today.
Discover the goddesses, warriors, witches, and monsters who shaped and subverted womanhood from the very beginning ...
Homemaker. Virgin. Warrior. Witch. Madwoman. Monster.
The labels applied to mythological women echo throughout history. These archetypes, created in the Ancient World, still resonate today.
From the stories of the virgin goddesses Athena and Artemis, the contrasting depictions of wifely duty in Clytemnestra and Penelope, the ecstatic frenzies of the Maenads, Echidna—the so-called mother of all monsters—and the misunderstood Medusa, Ancient Myths and Legends Without Men reveals a world where powerful women were both worshipped and feared.
Accompanied with beautiful illustrations throughout, uncover the real stories behind the women of Ancient Mythology and find what they can teach us about being a woman today.
- GenresNonfiction
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2025
5 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 24, 2025
Begin was heel goed en interessant, maar wou toch wat meer diepgang over ieders verhaal. Wel interessant om te lezen om te zien dat 'vrouwen' al zo lang op een bepaalde manier worden gezien door mannen....
October 31, 2025
4.5 rounded up - This incredibly researched book acts as something of a beginners guide to some of the coolest figures in classic mythology. Split into the recognisable tropes of Virgin, Homemaker, Warrior, Witch, Madwoman and Monster (my favourite chapter) Gold talks us through a few of the key female figures and their stories.
Gold’s wit really starts shining through a couple of chapters in and is immediately endearing, as is the clear passion she has for her mythological loves. I really enjoyed the queer takes and recentering of figures who were sidelined by their own stories. My only downside is that some of the character studies feel a little too short! I’d have liked to read a full chapter on every myth Gold writes about.
Even with this though, Gold has written a great book that will no doubt inspire people to go and do an even deeper dive into some really fascinating legends.
(Also worth noting that this book is BEAUTIFUL, from the cover to the gorgeous illustrations, it’s an absolute treasure).
Thank you to Mara and to Vintage for this advanced copy. AMALWM is now taking pride of place in my bookshelves.
Gold’s wit really starts shining through a couple of chapters in and is immediately endearing, as is the clear passion she has for her mythological loves. I really enjoyed the queer takes and recentering of figures who were sidelined by their own stories. My only downside is that some of the character studies feel a little too short! I’d have liked to read a full chapter on every myth Gold writes about.
Even with this though, Gold has written a great book that will no doubt inspire people to go and do an even deeper dive into some really fascinating legends.
(Also worth noting that this book is BEAUTIFUL, from the cover to the gorgeous illustrations, it’s an absolute treasure).
Thank you to Mara and to Vintage for this advanced copy. AMALWM is now taking pride of place in my bookshelves.
January 2, 2026
"The majority of monsters in the ancient world were female reflecting a societal fear of women with any sort of power
but especially power over men. From Echidna, the so-called mother of all monsters, to the Sirens, the enduring symbol of male temptation, these monsters were designed to push the narrative that women who went unchecked were dangerous. Many of them did not start out as monsters but as beautiful women who were punished bv the men who were attracted to them."
Classical studies has never taken my fancy (maybe because of the rape and perpetual female punishment) this book was an accesible intro to ancient myths and legends. The archetypes chosen as chapters (homemaker, virgin, warrior, femme fatale, witch, madwoman, monster) still ring true as pigeon holes used in an attempt to control and define womanhood. Although the books focus is predominantly greek and roman there are some cool comparisons to indigenous legend/myth....
"Far from Aeaea, we see some parallels with Circe in the story of Kurangaituku from Aotearoa. There are multiple versions of the myth, which are particular to different iwi or tribes that still exist around the country. Kurangaituku Was part- bird part-woman and traditionally described as a witch, though some versions portray her more sympathetically as a protector or caretaker of birds. Like Circe, she was not the main character in her own story, but a well-known antagonist to the male hero, Hatupatu. Also like Circe, the dominant versions of the story describe Kurangaituku capturing Hatapatu whilst he was out hunting and imprisoning him in her cave along with her pet birds and reptiles."
but especially power over men. From Echidna, the so-called mother of all monsters, to the Sirens, the enduring symbol of male temptation, these monsters were designed to push the narrative that women who went unchecked were dangerous. Many of them did not start out as monsters but as beautiful women who were punished bv the men who were attracted to them."
Classical studies has never taken my fancy (maybe because of the rape and perpetual female punishment) this book was an accesible intro to ancient myths and legends. The archetypes chosen as chapters (homemaker, virgin, warrior, femme fatale, witch, madwoman, monster) still ring true as pigeon holes used in an attempt to control and define womanhood. Although the books focus is predominantly greek and roman there are some cool comparisons to indigenous legend/myth....
"Far from Aeaea, we see some parallels with Circe in the story of Kurangaituku from Aotearoa. There are multiple versions of the myth, which are particular to different iwi or tribes that still exist around the country. Kurangaituku Was part- bird part-woman and traditionally described as a witch, though some versions portray her more sympathetically as a protector or caretaker of birds. Like Circe, she was not the main character in her own story, but a well-known antagonist to the male hero, Hatupatu. Also like Circe, the dominant versions of the story describe Kurangaituku capturing Hatapatu whilst he was out hunting and imprisoning him in her cave along with her pet birds and reptiles."
November 26, 2025
Beautiful and accessible book, so interesting and left me wanting more. Wonderfully queer and bringing myths to the modern day, showing how activists and others have reclaimed mythological figures. Really relevant and refreshing take. Only criticism is wanting more! Hope there’s another book in the works!
December 16, 2025
I love reading history, myths and legends from a female perspective. It’s packed with cool illustrations and written in a way that’s easy to get into, so you don’t need to be a mythology expert to enjoy it. I am keen to dive into the myths and legends that I was not familiar with to learn some more; particularly Kurangaituku. Thankyou Mara for creating this book
January 8, 2026
Really enjoyed this but was not what I was expecting. There were short chapters about Clytemnestra, Atalanta and Medea (my fav characters within mythology) within which I wish were written and expanded on so much more, but there were still lots of interesting facts and information! Gran got me this for Christmas after I pointed it out at the ashmolean museum in Oxford gift shop!
December 24, 2025
Absolutely loved this! A great starting point for feminist retelling of mythology that references so many other great works!!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews