Night's Black Agents Witches, Wizards and the Dead in the Ancient World

by Ogden, Daniel

• ISBN13: 9781847252302
• ISBN10: 1847252303
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-07-15
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

The supernatural lore of Ancient Greece and Rome is vividly brought to life in these pages.

Author Biography

Daniel Ogden is Professor of Ancient History in the University of Exeter.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
The First Wicked Witches of the West?
At the dawn of the classical tradition: Circe	p. 7
Circe and the birth of the mage	p. 21
The emergence of Medea	p. 27
Conclusion	p. 35
Roman Gothic: the Witches of the Latin Tradition	p. 39
In the background: Hellenistic literature and indigenous Roman magic	p. 39
Latin poetry: Canidia, Erictho and friends	p. 45
Latin novels: Meroe, Panthia and others	p. 56
Folk traditions of modern Italy	p. 71
Conclusion	p. 75
Babylon and Memphis: the Sorcerers of the Imperial Age	p. 77
The conglomerated magical peoples of Asia: Persians, Medes, Mages, Babylonians, Chaldaeans, Assyrians and Syrians	p. 77
Egyptian priest-sorcerers	p. 91
Judaeo-Christian exorcists	p. 100
The Neo-Pythagoreans: Arignotus, Apollonius and Alexander	p. 104
Conclusion	p. 113
Hidden Stories: Grimoires, Amulets and Curse Tablets	p. 115
Grimoires: the Greek Magical Papyri	p. 115
Circles of protection: amulets	p. 129
Curse tablets and binding spells	p. 138
Conclusion	p. 144
Across the Divide: Love and Sex between the Living and the Dead	p. 146
Love beyond the grave	p. 146
New love between the living and the dead	p. 160
Conclusion	p. 169
Notes	p. 170
Bibliography	p. 197
Index	p. 218
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