Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World

Author/creator Gager, John G. Editor
Format Electronic
Publication InfoNew York : Oxford University Press, Incorporated
Description296 p. ill 05.400 x 08.100 in.
Supplemental ContentFull text available from Ebook Central - Academic Complete
Subjects

Summary Annotation In the ancient Greco-Roman world, it was common practice to curse or bind an enemy or rival by writing an incantation on a tablet and dedicating it to a god or spirit. These curses or binding spells, commonly called defixiones were intended to bring other people under the power and control ofthose who commissioned them. More than a thousand such texts, written between the 5th Century B.C.E. and the 5th Century C.E., have been discovered from North Africa to England, and from Syria to Spain. Extending into every aspect of ancient life--athletic and theatrical competitions, judicialproceedings, love affairs, business rivalries, and the recovery of stolen property--they shed light on a new dimension of classical study previously inaccessible. Here, for the first time, these texts have been translated into English with a substantial translator's introduction revealing thecultural, social, and historical context for the texts. This book will interest historians, classicists, scholars of religion, and those concerned with ancient magic.
Access restrictionAvailable only to authorized users.
Technical detailsMode of access: World Wide Web
Genre/formElectronic books.
LCCN 91033236
ISBN9780195134827
ISBN0195134826 (Trade Paper) Active Record
Standard identifier# 9780195134827
Stock number00020142

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