Graf, Fritz creator text enk London Harvard University Press 2002 1997 monographic eng fre

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313 p. ; 21 cm. Ancient Greeks and Romans often turned to magic to achieve personal goals. Magical rites were seen as a route for direct access to the gods, for material gains as well as spiritual satisfaction. In this survey of magical beliefs and practices from the sixth century B.C.E. through late antiquity, Fritz Graf sheds new light on ancient religion. Graf explores the important types of magic in Greco-Roman antiquity, describing rites and explaining the theory behind them. And he characterizes the ancient magician: his training and initiation, social status, and presumed connections with the divine world. With trenchant analysis of underlying conceptions and vivid account of illustrative cases, Graf gives a full picture of the practice of magic and its implications. He concludes with an evaluation of the relation of magic to religion. Naming the sorcerer -- Portrait of the magician, seen from the outside -- How to become a magician: the rites of initiation -- Curse tablets and voodoo dolls -- Literary representation of magic -- Words and acts. Fritz Graf; translated by Franklin Philip. Magic, Ancient Magia Greece Religion Rome Religion Grecia Religión Roma Religión BF 1591 G736m 2002 133.43093 Okk 0674541510 (m) 9780674541511 (m) DKDLA 091212 20230411090038.0 dan