| Unit name | Magic in the Graeco-Roman World |
|---|---|
| Unit code | CLAS12360 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Michelakis |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Classics & Ancient History |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why did people believe in magic? Is 'magic' a name for unauthorised religion or medicine, or for techniques and events that do not fit accepted patterns of explanation? Is it deception, or self-deception, or does it achieve success by a pact with demons? Is it the weapon of the power? Magic was taken very seriously in Greek and Roman culture. It was banned in Roman law and blamed for illness, failure, death and passion. This unit studies a range of Greek and Roman texts (in translation), and some visual material, concerned with Graeco-Roman interpretation of magic. There is no practical component.
