Classics

Magic had a central place, alongside religion, in everyday ancient Greek and Roman lives. What beliefs did people in antiquity have about magic and how it worked? To answer these questions, the course explores the descriptions of ancient witches, sorcerers, shamans, necromancers, oracles, ghosts, spells, and love potions, and evidence of curses, voodoo dolls, and amulets from the ancient magic in more modern times (e.g. witch hunts, astrology, and Harry Potter). The relationships between magic and ancient religion, Christianity, medicine, the law, philosophers, and the everyday lives of people from all levels of ancient society are key to this inquiry. Students use the sources to consider what the Greeks and Romans thought magic was, how they thought it worked, and why they used it.