Magic in Ancient Greece and Rome

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, Ancient & Classical, Nonfiction, History, Ancient History, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Mind & Body
Cover of the book Magic in Ancient Greece and Rome by Prof Lindsay C. Watson, Bloomsbury Publishing
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Prof Lindsay C. Watson ISBN: 9781350108950
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Publication: May 2, 2019
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic Language: English
Author: Prof Lindsay C. Watson
ISBN: 9781350108950
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication: May 2, 2019
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Language: English

Parting company with the trend in recent scholarship to treat the subject in abstract, highly theoretical terms, Magic in Ancient Greece and Rome proposes that the magic-working of antiquity was in reality a highly pragmatic business, with very clearly formulated aims - often of an exceedingly maligant kind.

In seven chapters, each addressed to an important arm of Greco-Roman magic, the volume discusses the history of the rediscovery and publication of the so-called Greek Magical Papyri, a key source for our understanding of ancient magic; the startling violence of ancient erotic spells and the use of these by women as well as men; the alteration in the landscape of defixio (curse tablet) studies by major new finds and the confirmation these provide that the frequently lethal intent of such tablets must not be downplayed; the use of herbs in magic, considered from numerous perspectives but with an especial focus on the bizarre-seeming rituals and protocols attendant upon their collection; the employment of animals in magic, the factors determining the choice of animal, the uses to which they were put, and the procuring and storage of animal parts, conceivably in a sorcerer's workshop; the witch as a literary construct, the clear homologies between the magical procedures of fictional witches and those documented for real spells, the gendering of the witch-figure and the reductive presentation of sorceresses as old, risible and ineffectual; the issue of whether ancient magicians practised human sacrifice and the illuminating parallels between such accusations and late 20th century accounts of child-murder in the context of perverted Satanic rituals.

By challenging a number of orthodoxies and opening up some underexamined aspects of the subject, this wide-ranging study stakes out important new territory in the field of magical studies.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Parting company with the trend in recent scholarship to treat the subject in abstract, highly theoretical terms, Magic in Ancient Greece and Rome proposes that the magic-working of antiquity was in reality a highly pragmatic business, with very clearly formulated aims - often of an exceedingly maligant kind.

In seven chapters, each addressed to an important arm of Greco-Roman magic, the volume discusses the history of the rediscovery and publication of the so-called Greek Magical Papyri, a key source for our understanding of ancient magic; the startling violence of ancient erotic spells and the use of these by women as well as men; the alteration in the landscape of defixio (curse tablet) studies by major new finds and the confirmation these provide that the frequently lethal intent of such tablets must not be downplayed; the use of herbs in magic, considered from numerous perspectives but with an especial focus on the bizarre-seeming rituals and protocols attendant upon their collection; the employment of animals in magic, the factors determining the choice of animal, the uses to which they were put, and the procuring and storage of animal parts, conceivably in a sorcerer's workshop; the witch as a literary construct, the clear homologies between the magical procedures of fictional witches and those documented for real spells, the gendering of the witch-figure and the reductive presentation of sorceresses as old, risible and ineffectual; the issue of whether ancient magicians practised human sacrifice and the illuminating parallels between such accusations and late 20th century accounts of child-murder in the context of perverted Satanic rituals.

By challenging a number of orthodoxies and opening up some underexamined aspects of the subject, this wide-ranging study stakes out important new territory in the field of magical studies.

More books from Bloomsbury Publishing

Cover of the book And What Do You Do? by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Frostgrave: Second Chances by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Costuming Cosplay by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Duels and Duelling by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Instalove by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book The Aviary Gate by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Critical Discourse Studies and Technology by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Macbeth by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Twelve Week Fitness and Nutrition Programme for Women by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Chris Packham's Wild Side Of Town by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Public Law in a Multi-Layered Constitution by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book On God, The Soul, Evil and the Rise of Christianity by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
Cover of the book Kitchen Confidential by Prof Lindsay C. Watson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy