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Magic and Folklore in the Greek and Roman Worlds

Module description

The module introduces you to the culture of magic and magical figures in the Greek and Roman worlds, with an emphasis on the role of folklore in shaping the projection of these. A central feature of the module is the comparative study of the amusing but fundamentally traditional anecdotes in Lucian’s Philopseudes or Lover of Lies. The module will appeal to and be suitable for students with an interest in the ancient world, magic, ghosts, narrative literature or folklore. The module is suitable for interdisciplinary pathways, in particular the MA in Magic and Occult Science.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module aims to:

• Introduce you to a wide range of Greek and Roman literary (and some documentary) texts bearing upon magic, witches and sorcerers in the ancient world, and in particular the role of folklore in shaping conceptions and representations of these. 
• To explore Lucian’s Philopseudes or Lover of Lies and the 10 entertaining anecdotes (principally devoted to sorcerers and ghosts) that form the heart of this second-century AD text, which – for all their satirical veneer – draw deeply upon and engage with rich folkloric traditions.
• To read and analyse these tales against numerous analogue narratives, both from antiquity itself and from more recent (principally western) cultures. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Demonstrate close knowledge of the sources for magic in the Graeco-Roman world, with particular attention to Lucian’s Philopseudes.
• 2. Demonstrate understanding of the culture and context of magic and its representation in the Graeco-Roman world.
• 3. Demonstrate understanding of the nature of folklore and the problems of studying it in a historical context.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Collate and analyse widely different types of evidence, much of which is incomplete and ambiguous in significance.
• 5. Draw independent inferences about the relationships of narratives to their cultural, historical and traditional contexts.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Apply key bibliographical skills and the latest forms of information retrieval.
• 7. Demonstrate autonomous and analytical thinking on the basis of written and visual sources and secondary literature.
• 8. Construct and defend a sustained argument, both in written form and orally.
• 9. Work with instructor and peers in an independent, constructive and responsive way.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content will vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• The definition of magic in an ancient context.
• Homer’s witch Circe and the world of folklore.
• The witches of Apuleius (Meroe, Pamphile, etc.) and the world of folklore (including striges); his sorcerer Zatchlas and ‘The Three Snake Leaves.’
• Lucian’s Hyperborean mage, his eros doll and the tradition of erotic spells, curses and recipes.
• Lucian’s Babylonian mage, his snake-blasting and the origin of the saintly dragon fight.
• Lucian’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice and weird Egyptian sorcerers; his animated statue of Pellichus.
• Lucian’s monstrous Hecate and the culture of magical intaglios and amulets.
• Lucian’s Haunted House and the longue durée of a beloved tale-type; the world of ancient ghosts
• Lucian’s Cleodemus, his premature death and ‘The Mistaken Underworld Conductor.’
• Lucian’s ghost of Demaenete, ‘The Grateful Dead’ and ‘The Lost Deposit.’

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

The following list is offered as an indication of the type and level of information that you are expected to consult. Further guidance will be provided by the Module Convenor.

• Anderson, G. 2000. Fairytale in the Ancient World. London.
• Betz, H.D., ed., 1992. The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, including the Demotic Spells. 2nd ed. Chicago. 
• Collins, D. 2008. Magic in the Ancient Greek World. Oxford.
• Edmonds, R. G., III. 2019. Drawing Down the Moon: Magic in the Ancient Graeco-Roman World. Princeton.
• Eidinow, E. 2007. Oracles, Curses and Risks among the Ancient Greeks. Oxford.
• Faraone, C.A. 1999. Ancient Greek Love Magic. Cambridge, Mass.
• Felton, D. 1999. Haunted Greece and Rome. Austin, TX. 
• Frankfurter, D. 2019. Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic. Leiden.
• Gager, J.G. 1992. Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World. Oxford.
• Graf, F. 1997. Magic in the Ancient World. Cambridge, Mass. 
• Hansen, W. F. 2002. Ariadne's Thread: A Guide to International Tales Found in Classical Literature. Ithaca.  
• Houlbook, C., and N. Armitage eds. 2015. The Materiality of Magic: An Artefactual Investigation into Ritual Practices and Popular Beliefs. Oxford.
• Janowitz, N. 2001. Magic in the Roman world. Pagans, Jews and Christians. London.
• Johnston, S.I. 1999. Restless Dead. Berkeley.
• Lamont, J. 2023. In Blood and Ashes: Curse Tablets and Binding Spells in Ancient Greece. New York.
• Luck, G. 2006. Arcana Mundi. Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds.  2nd ed. Baltimore. 
• Mirecki, P., and Meyer, M., eds. 2002. Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World. Leiden.
• Ogden, D. 2001. Greek and Roman Necromancy. Princeton.
• Ogden, D.  2007. In Search of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Swansea.
• Ogden, D. 2008. Night’s Black Agents. London.
• Ogden, D.  2009. Magic. Witchcraft and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds: A Sourcebook. 2nd ed. New York.
• Ogden, D. 2021. The Strix-Witch. Cambridge.
• Parker, A. and S. McKie eds. 2018. Material Approaches to Roman Magic: Occult Objects and Supernatural Substances. Oxford.
• Rampton, M. 2022. Trafficking with Demons: Magic, Ritual, and Gender from Late Antiquity to 1000. Ithaca.
• Sävborg, D., and K. Bek-Pedersen eds. 2014. Folklore in Old Norse; Old Norse in Folklore. Tartu.
• Stratton, K.B. and D. Kalleres eds. 2014. Daughters of Hecate. Women and Magic in the Ancient World. New York.
• Thompson, S. 1946. The Folktale. New York. Reprint, Berkeley, 1977.
• Watson, L. 2019. Magic in Ancient Greece and Rome. London.
• Wilburn, A. T. 2012. Materia Magica: The Archaeology of Magic in Roman Egypt, Cyprus, and Spain. Ann Arbor.

Key words search

Magic, Ancient, Greece, Rome, Folklore, Lucian