Promotional Information

A hugely important achievement. -- Daniel Ogden, author of Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds

Table of Contents

List of Texts
Preface
List of Abbreviations
General Introduction: Exploring Ancient Magic
1. Magic
Introduction
Texts
2. Miracles
Introduction
Texts
3. Daemonology
Introduction
Texts
4. Divination
Introduction
Texts
5. Astrology
Introduction
Texts
6. Alchemy
Introduction
Texts
Epilogue: The Survival of Pagan Magic
Appendix: Psychoactive Substances in Religion and Magic
Vocabula Magica
Select Bibliography
Index of Ancient Sources
General Index

About the Author

Georg Luck is professor emeritus in the Department of Classics at the Johns Hopkins University. He has served as editor of American Journal of Philology and is the author of The Latin Love Elegy (Methuen, 1969) and others.

Reviews

This lengthy volume contains wide-ranging samples of material from literature, philosophy, and real-life practitioners of magic... There is immense food for thought here in many aspects of the field. American Journal of Philology A 'must' for mythology courses and the classical civilization curriculum! Classical Outlook An excellent work. It will rapidly and deservedly become one of the standard works on magic and the occult in the Greek and Roman worlds. Ancient Philosophy An excellent translation of ancient texts on the subject, but it's a lot more than that. It's a glimpse into the minds of the everyday people of the times and what made them turn, what made them stop, what made them look over their shoulders. Courier-Gazette, Rockland, Maine An indispensable guide. -- Bradford Lee Eden Classical Bulletin 2006 No one currently at work in ancient magic or related fields can remotely compare with Luck for the breadth and profundity of his knowledge of the literary texts... or for the humility and lightness of touch with which he conveys his scholarship. -- Daniel Ogden Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft