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 women who shaped and subverted womanhood from the very beginning…