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Magic in the ancient world / Fritz Graf; translated by Franklin Philip.

By: Material type: TextTextLanguage: English, French Series: Revealing antiquity ; 10.Publication details: London : Harvard University Press, 2002.Description: 313 p. ; 21 cmISBN:
  • 0674541510 (m)
  • 9780674541511 (m)
Uniform titles:
  • Magie dans l'antiquitâe grâeco-romaine.
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 133.43093
LOC classification:
  • BF 1591 G736m 2002
Other classification:
  • Okk
Contents:
Naming the sorcerer -- Portrait of the magician, seen from the outside -- How to become a magician: the rites of initiation -- Curse tablets and voodoo dolls -- Literary representation of magic -- Words and acts.
Summary: 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 survey of magical beliefs and practices from the sixth century B.C.E. through late antiquity, Fritz Graf sheds new light on ancient religion. 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.
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Holdings
Item type Current library Home library Collection Shelving location Call number Copy number Status Barcode
Libro Libro Biblioteca Juan Bosch Biblioteca Juan Bosch Humanidades Humanidades (4to. Piso) BF 1591 G736m 2002 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) 1 Available 00000066861

Naming the sorcerer --
Portrait of the magician, seen from the outside --
How to become a magician: the rites of initiation --
Curse tablets and voodoo dolls --
Literary representation of magic --
Words and acts.

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 survey of magical beliefs and practices from the sixth century B.C.E. through late antiquity, Fritz Graf sheds new light on ancient religion. 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.

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