Section outline

  • Topics:

    ·      societies of the ancient Mediterranean world

    ·      magic and mystery – the lure of magic

    ·      types of magic

     

    Readings:

    ·      Edmonds, Drawing Down the Moon, ch. 1-2

    ·      Gager, Introduction, ch. 8

    ·      Apuleius, Metamorphoses (esp. ch. 1-3, 9-10)

     

    Supplementary Readings

    ·      Bremmer, Birth of the Term 'Magic'

    ·      Frazer, Sympathetic Magic

    ·      Gordon, Imagining Greek and Roman Magic

    ·      Mauss, General Theory of Magic, pp. 44-90

    ·      Phillips, In Search of the Occult

    ·      Smith, Here, There, and Anywhere

    ·      Smith, Trading Places

    ·      Tambiah, Form and Meaning of Magical Acts

    ·      Versnel, Some Reflections on the Relationship