Magic and Magicians in the Greco-Roman World

Rating:
Summary: An Indispensable Guide to Classical Magic
Review: Beginning with an overview of what constitutes magic and magical behavior in the Classical world, Dickie traces the evolution of the concept of magic through his chosen period (500 BCE - 700 CE). His precise field of inquiry is the "common" magic-worker, insofar as such a practitioner existed. He attempts to answer the questions "who was doing magic and why?" by examining a vast array of evidence, both primary and literary. Along the way he discards much of the dross that has accumulated on Classical scholarship in the last decade or so, deriding the postmodern and deconstructionist habits of hanging modern Freudian meanings on antique societies and social actions.

The scope of this work is breathtaking. A truly vast array of sources are brought forth, considered, and placed into the context of what is known about the societies in question. Primary material, drawn heavily from archaeological evidence such as curse tablets and amuletic inscriptions, is cited wherever appropriate. Extensive use is made of the magical papyri as well and the author makes a consistent effort to consider what role is played by the casters of such spells in their societies - the society of classical Athens, for example, is different from that of Athens in the time of Alexander, which in turn is different from Republican or Imperial Rome. Each discrete period of time is considered from its own sources, archaeological, primary or literary.

Nor are modern scholars ignored in this tour de force. Dickie makes wide-ranging use of the best that Classical scholarship has to offer - Graf, Faraone, Obbink, Johnston, all are cited where relevant. The only modern scholar that is missing from this lineup is Hans Dieter Betz; Betz' translation and collation of the PGM is abandoned in favor of the older and less complete Preisendanz editions, nor is Betz cited in the Bibliography except for two minor articles, both contained in collections with other articles which are extensively cited. (The scholar in me smells some obscure feud in this.) Nevertheless, this puzzling absence in no way detracts from the stellar quality of the book itself.

This is a must-own for any serious student of Classical magic. Buy it today!

Rating:
Summary: An Indispensable Guide to Classical Magic
Review: Beginning with an overview of what constitutes magic and magical behavior in the Classical world, Dickie traces the evolution of the concept of magic through his chosen period (500 BCE - 700 CE). His precise field of inquiry is the "common" magic-worker, insofar as such a practitioner existed. He attempts to answer the questions "who was doing magic and why?" by examining a vast array of evidence, both primary and literary. Along the way he discards much of the dross that has accumulated on Classical scholarship in the last decade or so, deriding the postmodern and deconstructionist habits of hanging modern Freudian meanings on antique societies and social actions.

The scope of this work is breathtaking. A truly vast array of sources are brought forth, considered, and placed into the context of what is known about the societies in question. Primary material, drawn heavily from archaeological evidence such as curse tablets and amuletic inscriptions, is cited wherever appropriate. Extensive use is made of the magical papyri as well and the author makes a consistent effort to consider what role is played by the casters of such spells in their societies - the society of classical Athens, for example, is different from that of Athens in the time of Alexander, which in turn is different from Republican or Imperial Rome. Each discrete period of time is considered from its own sources, archaeological, primary or literary.

Nor are modern scholars ignored in this tour de force. Dickie makes wide-ranging use of the best that Classical scholarship has to offer - Graf, Faraone, Obbink, Johnston, all are cited where relevant. The only modern scholar that is missing from this lineup is Hans Dieter Betz; Betz' translation and collation of the PGM is abandoned in favor of the older and less complete Preisendanz editions, nor is Betz cited in the Bibliography except for two minor articles, both contained in collections with other articles which are extensively cited. (The scholar in me smells some obscure feud in this.) Nevertheless, this puzzling absence in no way detracts from the stellar quality of the book itself.

This is a must-own for any serious student of Classical magic. Buy it today!