Classical Studies 645

ANCIENT MAGIC

 

Professor Radcliffe G. Edmonds III

Office: Thomas 245

Office Phone: 526-5046

redmonds@brynmawr.edu

 

Carpenter B13

Th 2:00-4:00
(+ translation session to be scheduled)

Office Hours: MWF 10:00-11:00

or by appointment

 

 

Required Texts:

Apuleius, Lucius, The Golden Ass (trans. P. G. Walsh)

Betz, Hans D. edt trl , The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation (PGM)

Faraone & Obbink, edt , Magika Hiera: Ancient Greek Magic & Religion

Gager, John G. edt , Curse Tablets & Binding Spells from the Ancient World

Graf, Fritz , Magic in the Ancient World

Iamblichus, On the Mysteries (trans. Clark, Dillon &Hershbell)

Ogden, Daniel, Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in Greek and Roman Worlds:  A Sourcebook

 

Recommended Texts:

Barton, Tamsyn, Ancient Astrology

Mauss, Marcel, A General Theory of Magic

Preisendanz & Henrichs, Papyri Graecae Magicae (2 vols)

 

Course Description:

            Bindings and curses, love charms and healing potions, amulets and talismans - from the simple spells designed to meet the needs of the poor and desperate to the complex theurgies of the philosophers, the people of the Greco-Roman World made use of magic to try to influence the world around them.  In this course we shall examine the magicians of the ancient world and the techniques and devices they used to serve their clientele.  We shall consider ancient tablets and spell books as well as literary descriptions of magic in the light of theories relating to the religious, political, and social contexts in which magic was used.

 

Course Requirements:

Class participation:

            Participation, of course, includes attendance, since you cannot participate if you are not in class.  If, for some reason, you cannot attend class, please inform me in advance.  Each student should be prepared to translate, discuss, and answer questions on the material covered in the lesson for the week.  Coming prepared with questions on the material is even better than coming with answers to the basics.  If, for some reason, you cannot prepare for class, please attend anyway - you will be better prepared for the next class.

            One or more students will be selected to lead off the discussion on specific readings for each class, but every student should be prepared to contribute to the discussion. There may be an extra translation section scheduled to focus upon the readings for each week in Greek (marked in bold on the syllabus).  All readings not in the required textbooks will be available online on Blackboard, as well as many others that may be useful as supplements for the discussions on particular topics or as starting points for research.  The readings can be reached directly from the online version of the syllabus at: http://www.brynmawr.edu/classics/redmonds/csts64506.html. 

 

Written Assignments: 

            There will be two short written assignments designed for the students to demonstrate their understanding of specific materials covered in class.  The final paper will be the major requirement for the course.  This paper should be a lengthy (20-25 pages) research paper on a specific topic related to the course.  Students should select a topic and discuss it with me before fall break.  Students will give a brief (5-10 minute) presentation of their research in the last week of class, and a rough draft will be due at this time.  The final paper will be due before the end of exam period.

 

 

 

Week I - Introduction – Issues of Definition

 

Topics:

á      course introduction

á      definition of magic

á      magic vs. religion, magic vs. science

á      instrumental and symbolic action

á      ancient contexts of magic

 

Readings:

á      Graf, ch. 1-2

á      Gager, Introduction

á      Betz, Introduction

 

 

Week II - The World of Ancient Magic

 

Topics:

á      societies of the ancient Mediterranean world

á      magic and mystery – the lure of magic

á      types of magic

á      practitioners of magic, victims of magic

 

Readings:

á      Apuleius, Metamorphoses (esp.ch. 1-3, 9-10)

á      Graf, ch. 1-2

á      Gager, Intro., ch. 8

á      Bremmer, Birth of the Term 'Magic'

á      Frazer, Sympathetic Magic

á      Mauss, General Theory of Magic, pp. 44-90

á      Phillips, In Search of the Occult

á      Smith, Trading Places

á      Tambiah, Form and Meaning of Magical Acts

á      Versnel, Some Reflections on the Relationship

á      Gordon, Imagining Greek and Roman Magic (parts 1, 2, 3, & 4)

 

Week III - Curses – Binding Spells for All Occasions

 

Topics:

á      competition and cursing

á      athletic contexts

á      legal contexts

á      binding and harming

 

Readings:

á      PGM V 304-69, VII 396-404, VII 423-28, VII 429-58, X 36-50

á      Plato, Republic 356e-365c

á      Supplementum Magicum nos. 53, 55, 56 

á      PGM VII 390-3, VII 394-5, VII 417-22, IX 1-14, XXXVI 1-34, XXXVI 35-68, XXXVI 231-55, and LVIII

á      Gager, ch. 1, 3-6

á      Ogden 14, 168-196, 236, 247

á      Graf, ch. 5

á      Faraone, The Agonistic Context of Early Greek Binding Spells - Magika Hiera ch. 1

á      Strubbe, Cursed be he that moves my bones - Magika Hiera ch. 2

á      Versnel, Beyond Cursing - Magika Hiera ch. 3

á      Gordon, What's in a List?

á      Versnel, Punish Those Who Rejoice in Our Misery

 

 

Week IV - Love Charms

 

Topics:

á      gender and sex

á      male vs. female subjects and objects in erotic spells

á      sex and violence

 

Readings:

á      PGM IV 296-466, IV 1716-1870, IV 2441-2621, IV 2891-2942, XXXII 1-19, XXXIIa 1-25, CXXII

á      Lucian Dialogues of the Courtesans 4.4-5

á      Supplementum Magicum  46-51

á      Supplementum Magicum nos. 37, 38, 39, 40, 43, 44, 45,   58, 63, 64 

á      PGM IV 1390-1495, IV 1496-1595, IV 1870-1927, IV 1928-2000, IV 2000-2125, IV 2622-2707, IV 2708-2784, IV 2943-2966, VII 300a-310, VII 459-77, VII 862-918, XVI 1-75, XVIIa, XXXVI 69-101, XXXVI 102-33, XXXVI 134-160, XXXVI 187-210, XXXVI 295-311, XXXVI 333-360, XXXVI 361-371, CI, CVII, CVIII

á      Gager, ch. 2

á      Ogden 52, 76-81 (Deianeira), 197-213, 224-229 (iunx), 244, 248-255 (erotic amulets)

á      Graf, ch. 6

á      Dickie, Who Practised Love Magic in Classical Antiquity?

á      Faraone, Ancient Greek Love Magic

á      LiDonnici, Burning For It

á      Winkler, The Constraints of Eros - Magika Hiera, ch. 8

 

 

Week V - Healing and Protection

 

Topics:

á      defense against the dark arts

á      amulets and antidotes

á      repairing and healing

á      thanks before and after

 

Readings:

á      PGM IV 2145-2240, IV. 3007-86, VII 193-221,

á      Hippocrates de morbo sacro 1.10-46

á      Supplementum Magicum nos. 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 13, 18

á      Handout - Ephesia Grammata

á      Gager ch. 7

á      PGM IV 1596-1715, VII 260-71, VII 311-18, VII 579-90, (pdm) xiv. 554-626, XX, XXIIA 1-27, XLIII 1-27, LXX, CXIV, CXV

á      Greek Magical Amulets nos. 2, 4, 7, 11, 13, 24, 27, 37, 46, 38

á      Ogden 256-276, 13, 47

á      Pliny, Natural History (part 1 & part 2)

á      Kotansky, Incantations and Prayers - Magika Hiera ch. 4

á      Scarborough, The Pharmacology of Sacred Plants- Magika Hiera, ch. 5

á      Bonner, Studies in Magical Amulets

á      Gordon, The Healing Event in Graeco-Roman Folk-Medicine

 

 

Defixio Assignment due Friday, October 6

 

 

Week VI - Prayer and Magic

 

Topics:

á      thanks before and after

á      supplication and coercion

á      relationships with divine powers

 

Readings:

á      texts from Magika Hiera, ch. 7: PGM IV.2785-2879, VIII.1-26, VII.756-94, XVIIb, VII.668-85, V.392-423, Sappho Frag. 1

á      PGM I.262-347; Homer, Iliad I.33-51; Hesiod, Theogony 535-557; Hesiod Works and Days 320-340; Homer, Odyssey xiv.418-436; Isaeus 8.15-16, Pausanias V.15.3-12; Orphic Hymns 17 to Poseidon, 3 to Night

á      PGM I 262-347; III 494-611; IV 2241-2358; XII 14-95

á      Prayer handout texts

á      Sallustius, On the Gods and the World

á      Ogden 233

á      Graf ch. 7

á      Depew, Reading Greek Prayers

á      Graf, Prayer in Magical and Religious Ritual - Magika Hiera, ch. 7

á      Mauss, The Gift

á      Tambiah, The Magical Power of Words

á      Versnel, The Poetics of the Magical Charm

 

 

 

Week VII –Break

 

 

 

Week VII - Divination

 

Topics:

á      divination in society

á      magician and client

á      theories of divination

á      mechanics of divination

 

Readings:

á      PGM I 262-347, IV 930-1114, IV 3209-3254, VII 348-358, VII 540-78, VII 740-55, VII 795-845, VIII 64-110

á      Supplementum Magicum nos. 65, 66

á      Odyssey xi.13 ff & Kestos of Julius Africanus book 5

á      Plato, Symposium, 201e-203a; Plato, Phaedo 107d-108c; Plato, Cratylus 397e-398c; Plutarch, De Genio Socratis 588c-594a

á      Luck, Divination (parts I & part II) #72-94

á      PGM I 1-41, , II 1-64 II 65-184, III 187-262, III 263-75, III 282-409, III 424-66, IV 3086-3124, V 172-212, VII 1-148, VII 319-34, VII 335-47, VII 359-69, VII 664-85, VII 703-726, VII 727-739, VII 1009-16.

á      Ogden 144-155, 160, 164, 30, 36, 112

á      Iamblichus, De Mysteriis III.11-22

á      Dillery, Chresmologues and Manteis

á      Eitrem, Dreams and Divination - Magika Hiera, ch 6

á      Gordon, Reporting the Marvellous

á      Graf, Magic and Divination

á      Manetti, Greek Divination

á      Turner, Divination as a phase in a social process

 

 

Week IX - Astrology

 

Topics:

á      astrology as divination

á      astrology as cosmology

á      astrology and society

 

Readings:

á      Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos 1.1-1.2, 1.4;

á      Stobaeum Hermeticum VI

á      Vettius Valens,  Anthologiarum libri ix, 219.25-221.12, 288.20-289.33

á      Firmicus Maternus

á      Dorotheus Sidonius

á      Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos

á      Plato, Timaeus 38e-39e

á      Luck, Astrology -  #97-118

á      Neugebauer, Greek Horoscopes

á      Barton, Ancient Astrology, ch. 4 & 5

á      Gordon, Quaedam Veritatis Umbrae (part 1 & part 2)

á      Konstan, Evidence from Divination

á      MacMullen, Social History in Astrology

á      Riley, Theoretical and Practical Astrology

 

 

Week X - Alchemy

 

Topics:

á      alchemy and cosmology

á      mechanics of alchemy

á      alchemy and science

 

Readings:

á      Leyden and Stockholm Papyri (selections)

á      Zosimus, On Excellence

á      Ogden 46

á      PGM XII 193-201

á      Zosimus On the Letter Omega

á      Jung, Visions of Zosimus

á      Hershbell, Democritus and The Beginnings of Greek Alchemy

á      Stolzenberg, Unpropitious Tinctures

á      Taylor, A Survey of Greek Alchemy (part 1 & part 2)

 

 

 

Astrology Assignment due Friday November 9

 

 

 

Week XI - Theurgy

 

Topics:

á      demonology, philosophy, and the soul

á      philosophy and magic

á      theories of theurgy

á      practical theurgy – means and ends

 

Readings:

á      Mithras Liturgy (PGM IV.475-829)

á      Proclus, On The Sacred Art

á      Iamblichus, On the Mysteries, VIII.7-8

á      Iamblichus, On the Mysteries, Excerpts

á      Theurgy Readings (handout)

á      Apuleius, On the God of Socrates

á      Plutarch, On the Genius of Socrates

á      Plutarch, On the Face in the Moon

á      Athanassiadi, Dreams, Theurgy and Freelance Divination

á      Johnston, Rising to the Occasion

á      Luck, Theurgy and Forms of Worship in Neoplatonism 

á      Smith, J.Z., Towards Interpreting Demonic Powers

 

 

Week XII - Thanksgiving

 

 

Week XIII - The Magician – Craft & Character

 

Topics:

á      collections of spells - PGM

á      handbooks and magicians

á      magicianÕs apprentice; Thessalos of Trales

á      Greeks and Egyptians – social contexts

á      practitioners of magic, victims of magic

á      women and foreigners, weirdos and quacks

á      social context of depictions of magic

á      labelling the other vs. self-labelling

 

Readings:

á      PGM I 42-195, IV 26-51, IV 154-285, XIII 1-343

á      Thessalos of Tralles, De virtutibus herbarum

á      PGM I 1-42, IV 1-25, IV 52-85, XIII 344-645, 646-734, 735-1077

á      Lucian, Lover of Lies

á      Ogden 13-19, 44, 45, 53, 54, 55-107, 144-145, 155, 157, 214-223

á      Graf, ch. 4 & 6

á      Brashear - ANRW, part I

á      Smith, J.Z., The Temple and the Magician

á      Ritner, Egyptian Magical Practice under the Roman Empire

á      Moyer, Thessalos of Tralles

á      Smith, M. The 8th Book of Moses and How It Grew

á      Gordon, Innovation and Authority

á      Frankfurter, Dynamics of Ritual Expertise

 

 

 

Week XIV - Accusations of Magic

 

Topics:

á      social context of accusations of magic

á      witchcraft and the law

á      labelling the other vs. self-labelling

 

Readings:

á      Apuleius, Apology

á      Graf, ch. 3

á      Bradley, Law, Magic, and Culture in the Apologia of Apuleius

á      Collins, Theoris of Lemnos and the Criminalization of Magic

á      Hunink, Introduction to Apologia

á      Kippenberg, Magic in Roman Civil Discourse

á      Phillips, Nullum Crimen Sine Lege, Magika Hiera, ch. 10

 

 

Week XV - Definitions and Theory

 

Topics:

á      defining magic

á      magic and religion; magic and science

á      performative language and symbolic systems

á      conclusions

 

Readings:

á      Aune, Magic in Early Christianity

á      Betz, Magic and Mystery – Magika Hiera ch. 9

á      Braarvig, Magic: Reconsidering the Grand Dichotomy (part 1 & part 2)

á      Collins, Nature, Cause, and Agency

á      Gordon, Aelian's Peony

á      Fowler, Greek Magic, Greek Religion

á      Segal, Hellenistic Magic: Some Questions of Definition

á      Smith, Here, There, and Anywhere

á      Thomassen, Is Magic a Subclass of Ritual?