List of illustrations -- Preface -- Introduction -- Vampires, werewolves and the living dead -- Furies, Keres, Empusa and strix -- Werewolves -- living dead -- Appendix : Non-mythical monsters -- Impact -- Laocoon and the sea-snakes -- Sirens -- In Homer's Odyssey -- In Apollonius of Rhodes' Voyage of Argo -- In other classical authors -- In medieval, Renaissance and later authors -- Other winged monsters -- Stymphalian birds -- Griffins -- sphinx -- Harpies -- monster-slayer : Theseus' early life and conquests -- Minotaur -- Calydonian boar -- centaurs -- Theseus' end -- good monster : Chiron -- Metamorphosed monsters -- Medusa -- Scylla -- Jason and the Argonauts -- Talos -- hydra -- earthborn men -- Fighting with monsters (1) -- second labour of Heracles : the Hydra of Lerna -- Plot analysis : functions and stages -- Filling out the story -- tenth labour of Heracles : Geryon and Cacus -- Fighting with monsters (2) -- Typhos -- Perseus, Andromeda and the sea-monster -- Perseus and Medusa -- Polyphemus : Odysseus and Polyphemus -- Polymphemus and Galatea -- Appendix : Other gigantic monsters -- Notes -- Select bibliography -- Index of monsters.