The book begins by examining the meaning of the term 'magic', especially as related to the term 'religion'. Beginning with the ways of the Magi, and its development through the 'mystery cults' and influences from Egypt, Persia and the Graeco-Egyptian papyri, the author traces the growth and change of the idea of magic in classical culture.
The book then considers the figure of the magician, and the place of magical arts. It uses interesting classical sources, including a well-documented trial for sorcery of a Roman scholar. Two chapters address the rites if initiation of magicians, and the large body of evidence for the use of curse tablets and images.
The book emphasizes magic as a personal and individual approach to the spiritual, and how that brought magicians under suspicion by religious authorities. It discusses the development of the literary image of the mage.
I found the book to be satisfyingly scholarly, yet well written and engaging. The author shows a quiet humor that helps make this a very good book on a fascinating topic.
Ian Corrigan Tredara@ncweb.com
Ancient Greeks and Romans often turned to magic to achieve personal goals. Magical rites were seen as a route for direct access to the gods, for material gains as well as spiritual satisfaction. In this fascinating survey of magical beliefs and practices from the sixth century B.C.E. through late antiquity, Fritz Graf sheds new light on ancient religion.
Evidence of widespread belief in the efficacy of magic is pervasive: the contemporaries of Plato and Aristotle placed voodoo dolls on graves in order to harm business rivals or attract lovers. The Twelve Tables of Roman Law forbids the magical transference of crops from one field to another. Graves, wells, and springs throughout the Mediterranean have yielded vast numbers of Greek and Latin curse tablets. And ancient literature abounds with scenes of magic, from necromancy to love spells. Graf explores the important types of magic in Greco-Roman antiquity, describing rites and explaining the theory behind them. And he characterizes the ancient magician: his training and initiation, social status, and presumed connections with the divine world. With trenchant analysis of underlying conceptions and vivid account of illustrative cases, Graf gives a full picture of the practice of magic and its implications. He concludes with an evaluation of the relation of magic to religion. Magic in the Ancient World offers an unusual look at ancient Greek and Roman thought and a new understanding of popular recourse to the supernatural.