REL 19.24 Ancient Magic and Religion

Bindings and curses, love charms and healing potions, amulets and talismans – from simple spells to complex group rituals, ancient societies made use of both magic and religion to try to influence the world around them. In this course, we shall examine the roles of magic and religion in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, paying special attention to their local contexts and to the myths and actual techniques ancient practitioners used to serve their clientele. We examine descriptions of religious and magical practices in the multicultural contexts of ancient Greece and Rome. Our sources include literary accounts, legal documents, and material objects, such as inscriptions, amulets, tablets, and papyri. 

Cross Listed Courses

CLST 10.07

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:INT or TMV; WCult:CI

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.