Magic and Religion Magic and Syncretic Religious Culture in the East

MAGIC AND RELIGION MAGIC AND SYNCRETIC RELIGIOUS CULTURE IN THE EAST

Arja Karivieri

Abstract

This paper presents a general introduction to magic and syncretic religious culture in the Eastern Roman empire in Late Antiquity. Examples of magical rituals, texts and the materials used in the rites are presented. Imperial edicts against pagan religions and magic rituals in the 4th and early 5th c. changed the scene, and practising pagans were forced to perform these rituals in private. Neoplatonists in Athens emphasised the importance of magic and ancient rites, as vehicles for contact with the gods. In Attica, the extensive use of cave sanctuaries in Late Antiquity can possibly be connected with the activities of the Neoplatonists and with religious syncretism. An ever-increasing number of publications aim at discussing the dif- ferent aspects of magic, idolatry, demonology, what was considered illegitimate or legitimate magic in Antiquity, and the impact of magic on Christianity.1 The bulk of our sources are provided by ancient lit- erature, recipes in the so-called magical papyri, curses on tablets and epitaphs, amulets and prophylactica, since other categories of evidence, especially organic material utilised in the ancient magical rites, are largely unavailable for our studies. This paper aims to provide an overview of recent scholarly discussion on magic, as well as presenting various categories of objects that were utilised in everyday magic in the eastern part of the Mediterranean in Late Antiquity, with the help of both literary and archaeological sources.

1 For various approaches to magic, see, for example, Hoffman (2002) and Fowler (2005). The updated second edition of Georg Luck’s collection of ancient magical and occult texts Arcana Mundi includes a revised introduction to the study of ancient magic, Luck (2006) 1–29, as well as an epilogue, “The Survival of Ancient Magic” on 457–78 including a discussion of the development of magic from Late Antiquity to the Byz- antine period. A short introduction to magical rites is provided by Graf, Fowler and Nagy (2005). Important general presentations for Graeco-Roman magic are Dickie (2001), Faraone (1999), Gager (1992), Luck (2000), Ogden (2001) and Ogden (2002).

D. Gwynn, S. Bangert (edd.) Religious Diversity in Late Antiquity (Late Antique Archaeology 6 – 2008) (Leiden 2010), pp. 401–434