Customer Reviews

Magic in the Ancient World (Revealing Antiquity, No. 10)

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This volume presents a good overview of the place of 'magic' in the Greek and Roman worlds. It should be interesting to modern practitioners as well as to students of history and culture.

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

What is the difference between religion and magic? Fritz Graf says there is none. Graf a professor of Classics at Princeton University, has been described by his fellows as one of the world's most knowledgeable experts on Ancient Greek religion, and in this book he defends his title in reviewing the Presidendanz material-a collection of ancient texts (papyri) housed in Paris and developed during the Greco-Roman period. Graf also discusses artifacts from Attica and other areas in the Roman empire where thousands of binding tablets and `Voodoo' dolls have been discovered in recent years. Graf suggests the Presidendanz texts are as important for Greco-Roman religion as the Qumran scrolls for the Jewish religion, and the Nag-Hammadi texts for Gnosticism.

Graf suggests that Frazier, being a good Hellenist (all scholars knew Greek and Latin in those days) got it wrong when he divided magic from religion (pursuit of spiritual knowledge). According to Frazier, while the former seeks to manipulate the Gods, the latter seeks to know their will. Graf says the ancient Greeks did both-using magical techniques such as creating `binding' tablets and using portents for divination. Graf divides the magic-religious practices associated with binding into two categories: 1/ binding" for the purpose of control and 2/ seeking to undo the binding or restrictions placed on a victim by a magician or sorcerer. Graf suggests the practice of exorcism practiced by Christians is an example of the latter kind of magic.

Graf explores external influences affecting the Greco-Roman religion by examining linguistic terms associated with magical-religious practices, and he notes the connections between the words and practices of the early Christians and the `Pagan' Greeks. He suggests the term "magic" has Persian roots, and that both Christianity and the Greco-Roman religion were influenced by practices from the East. Because he reputedly could raise the dead and perform other `miracles' as could many Egyptian and Persian seers, Jesus was considered one of the magi.

In this book, Prof. Graf sets out the basic outlines for the study of magic in the ancient world. This is not an in-depth book (for that, see links below), but it gives the reader enough to begin asking questions.

Basic words for magic and magician are covered as well as the forms of initiation, defixions, and the like. As a brief survey this is not very detailed, but it's probably the best intro to the field that I've seen. The sense of humor livens the book up and even more advanced students will appreciate his history of the study and the controversy over Frazer's approach.

This book is light reading, and it is accessible to a non-specialist. Highly recommended.

After reading this book, people may find the following books helpful:

Magika Hiera: Ancient Greek Magic and Religion

Magic and Magicians in the Greco-Roman World

The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation: Including the Demotic Spells: Texts

Greek and Roman Necromancy

Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World

This book is interesting from a historical perspective. Those who think Christians didn't ever practice magic really should read it, because it has archaeological proof that Christ and his disciples did create talismans and amulets. Other than the historical reference, this is not of much practical use, since most of the tablets and scrolls they found spells on weren't intact, and you can't exactly find many of the ingredients nowadays.