Christopher Faraone's masterly "Ancient Greek Love Magic" [is] an
always intriguing--and often disturbing--exploration of ancient
erotic society. Faraone, an established expert on ancient magic and
ritual, examines the evidence for the two most-widely practiced
types of love magic: "agoge" spells, which lasso even the most
ornery of love-objects and "philia" spells, which prevent your
significant other from searching for greener pastures
elsewhere...Faraone's analysis of the interplay of gender and magic
will be the book's most important contribution; although "agoge"
magic is usually practiced by males and "philia" magic by females,
the exceptions (and there are some) point to the paradoxes inherent
in Ancient Greek constructions of gender...The book is a veritable
encyclopedia of fascinating magical recipes, and boasts many
well-researched variations on "agoge" and "philia" charms.--Thomas
Jenkins "Boston Book Review "
If any scholar is well-placed to produce a book on the topic of
ancient Greek love magic, it is certainly Christopher Faraone...A
useful glossary, full bibliography, and indispensable index of
terms, and an index of passages from the ancient authors, round out
the volume. This is without doubt a definitive work...Packed with
information. But, more importantly, it contains critical insights
and interpretations which show that Faraone is master of his
subject.--Mathew Dillon"Scholia Reviews" (01/01/2003)
In Greek magic, erotic spells were generally used by men to induce
"eros" in women, while spells to maintain or induce affection
("philia") were mainly used by women toward men. Mr. Faraone argues
that exceptions to those generalities shed new light on the social
construction of gender in Greek society, as well as on the issue of
which sex was considered the more lascivious.--Nina C. Ayoub
"Chronicle of Higher Education "
This exemplary book studies ancient Greek magical spells designed
to attract or keep lovers, and it advances a clear and persuasive
argument...Wisely and with great care, Faraone uses a variety of
ancient sources, such as literary depictions of the use of magic,
to provide a thicker description of ancient erotic
discourse.--David Brakke "Journal of Interdisciplinary History
"
This is no dry tome or unimaginative catalogue of papyrus scraps
and voodoo "poppets." The dust-jacket promises a lucid analysis of
the large corpus of ritual teachings used by the Greeks to instill
or maintain various forms of desire and affection. Faraone delivers
the goods, focusing principally on interpersonal aphrodisiac magic:
though he does touch briefly on self-help potency spells, he is
more interested in those directed against another unconsenting
individual.--Lea Chambers "Joint Association of Classical Teachers
Review "
Christopher Faraone's masterly Ancient Greek Love Magic [is] an
always intriguing--and often disturbing--exploration of ancient
erotic society. Faraone, an established expert on ancient magic and
ritual, examines the evidence for the two most-widely practiced
types of love magic: agoge spells, which lasso even the most ornery
of love-objects and philia spells, which prevent your significant
other from searching for greener pastures elsewhere...Faraone's
analysis of the interplay of gender and magic will be the book's
most important contribution; although agoge magic is usually
practiced by males and philia magic by females, the exceptions (and
there are some) point to the paradoxes inherent in Ancient Greek
constructions of gender...The book is a veritable encyclopedia of
fascinating magical recipes, and boasts many well-researched
variations on agoge and philia charms.
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