9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:09 Page i Magic in the Ancient Greek World 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:09 Page ii Blackwell Ancient Religions Ancient religious practice and belief are at once fascinating and alien for twenty-first-century readers. There was no Bible, no creed, no fixed set of beliefs. Rather, ancient religion was characterized by extraordinary diversity in belief and ritual. This distance means that modern readers need a guide to ancient religious experience. Written by experts, the books in this series provide accessible introductions to this central aspect of the ancient world. Published Magic in the Ancient Greek World Derek Collins Religion in the Roman Empire James B. Rives Ancient Greek Religion Jon D. Mikalson Forthcoming Religion of the Roman Republic Christopher McDonough and Lora Holland Death, Burial and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt Steven Snape Ancient Greek Divination Sarah Iles Johnston 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:09 Page iii Magic in the Ancient Greek World Derek Collins 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:09 Page iv © 2008 by Derek Collins blackwell publishing 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Derek Collins to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988, without the prior permission of the publisher. Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publisher is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold on the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. First published 2008 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1 2008 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Collins, Derek. Magic in the ancient Greek world / Derek Collins. p. cm. — (Blackwell ancient religions) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–1–4051–3238–1 (hardcover: alk. paper)—ISBN 978–1–4051–3239–8 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Magic, Greek. I. Title. BF1591.C57 2008 133.4′30938—dc22 2007027073 A catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library. Set in 9.75/12.5pt Utopia by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong Printed and bound in Singapore by Markono Print Media Pte Ltd The publisher’s policy is to use permanent paper from mills that operate a sustainable forestry policy, and which has been manufactured from pulp processed using acid-free and elementary chlorine-free practices. Furthermore, the publisher ensures that the text paper and cover board used have met acceptable environmental accreditation standards. For further information on Blackwell Publishing, visit our website at www.blackwellpublishing.com 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:10 Page v Contents Acknowledgments vii Abbreviations ix Introduction xi 1 Magic: What Is It and How Does It Work? 1 Frazer and Tylor 3 Malinowski 5 Magic as Communication 5 Lévy-Bruhl 7 Evans-Pritchard 11 Sympathetic Magic 14 Magic and the Extended Person 16 Magic and Analogy 17 Beyond Frazer 20 Tambiah and Persuasive Magic 21 Conclusion 24 2 A Framework for Greek Magic 27 Magic and the Gods 27 Divinity and Nature 31 The Hippocratics: Magic, Divination, and Epilepsy 33 Plato and Greek Psychology 42 Magic and Causality 44 Greek Magicians 49 Magoi 54 Gorgias, Mageia and GoBteia 58 Other Magical Terms 60 Conclusion 62 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:10 Page vi vi Contents 3 Binding Magic and Erotic Figurines 64 Binding the Gods 67 Divine Agents 69 ‘Characters’ 73 Body Parts and Health 78 Erotic Magic 88 Figurines 92 ErDtes 97 4 Homeric Incantations 104 Pythagoras and Empedocles 105 The Mechanics of Homeric Incantations 108 Obstetrics and Gynecology 109 Verse Combinations and the Power of Metaphor 114 Intoxication, Choking, and Gout 118 Incantations and Divination 122 Neoplatonic Theurgy and Homer 125 Conclusion 131 5 Magic in Greek and Roman Law 132 Magic in Greek Law and Legal Imagination 133 Trials for Erotic Magic 135 Theoris, the Lemnian Witch 136 Plato’s Laws Against Magic 139 Magic in Roman Law and Legal History 141 The Twelve Tables 142 The Lex Cornelia 145 Magia and Maleficium: Magic and Witchcraft 148 Apuleius the Magus 150 The Opinions of Paulus and Later Law Codes 159 Interpretationes Christianae 162 The Medieval Inheritance 164 6 Conclusion 166 Notes 170 Select Bibliography 191 Index 198 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:10 Page vii Acknowledgments It is a pleasure to thank those who have contributed in large and small ways to the development of this book. I will never remember everyone, for which I apologize in advance. But in particular I would like to thank Jan Bremmer, Radcliffe Edmonds III, Christopher Faraone, Michael Gagarin, Fritz Graf, Albert Henrichs, Richard Janko, Sarah Iles Johnston, Gregory Nagy, C. Robert Phillips III, William Race, and James Rives. Several of these scholars were not involved directly in the preparation of this book, but over the years have been involved either in helping me to publish my earlier research on Greek magic, or have in other ways gen- erously lent their time and knowledge. In no way should any of these col- leagues be held responsible for any errors or imperfections in this book. Various portions of the research presented here began their life as lec- tures. I cannot name here all of the participants in those lectures whose stimulating comments helped me to sharpen my views, and correct my errors, so I will content myself by thanking their institutions. They include: Bryn Mawr College, the University of Chicago, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, the University of Michigan and its Institute for the Humanities, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Ohio State University, and Yale University. In 2003–4, I was a Junior Fellow at the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, DC, during which time I completed a substantial part of the research for this book. I would like to thank the Director and Staff for their tireless support, and the University of Michigan for granting me a leave during that academic year. I owe a separate acknowledgment to the two anonymous readers of the original manuscript provided by Blackwell Publishing. They furnished me with astute and penetrating criticism, which has only helped to strengthen the final version. I am also especially indebted to Al Bertrand at Blackwell. The impetus for this book began with Al, over a cup of 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:10 Page viii viii Acknowledgments coffee at the annual meeting of the American Philological Association in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 2003. Were it not for his suggestion, and his patience over the intervening years, the book would not have seen the light of day. Finally, I dedicate this book to my parents and my sons, Adam and Bryan Collins, who still cannot quite believe that their father studies magic as opposed to practicing it. Boys, may you never lose that sense of wonder. 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:10 Page ix Abbreviations AJP American Journal of Philology ANRW Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt (Berlin, 1972–) ARW Archiv für Religionswissenschaft CA Classical Antiquity CML Corpus Medicorum Latinorum CQ Classical Quarterly DT A. Audollent, Defixionum tabellae (Paris, 1904) DTA R. Wünsch, Defixionum tabellae atticae, Inscriptiones Graecae 3.3 (Berlin, 1897) FGrH F. Jacoby, Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker (Berlin, 1923–) GRBS Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies HThR Harvard Theological Review IG Inscriptiones Graecae (Berlin, 1873–present) JHS Journal of Hellenic Studies LSJ Liddell, Scott, Jones et al., eds., A Greek–English Lexicon (9th edition, with revised Supplement, Oxford, 1996) MD Materiali e Discussioni MDAI Mitteilungen des deutschen archäologischen Instituts (Athenische Abteilung) OLD P. G. W. Glare, ed., Oxford Latin Dictionary (Oxford, 1996) PG J. P. Migne, Patrologia Graeca (Paris, 1857–89) PGM K. Preisendanz and A. Henrichs, eds., Papyri Graecae Magicae: Die griechischen Zauberpapyri (2nd edition, Stuttgart, 1973–74) RE A. Pauly and G. Wissova, eds., Real-Encyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft (Stuttgart, 1894–) REG Revue des Études Grecques 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:10 Page x x Abbreviations RhM Rheinisches Museum für Philologie SGD D. Jordan, “A Survey of Greek Defixiones not Included in the Special Corpora,” GRBS 26 (1985): 151–97 TAPA Transactions of the American Philological Association ThesCRA Thesaurus Cultus et Rituum Antiquorum ZPE Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 9781405132381_1_pre.qxd 30/10/2007 12:10 Page xi Introduction Something of the vitality and vibrancy in the study of ancient Greek magic can be found in the works that have appeared over the last two decades, and there is no end to the enthusiasm in sight.1 As might be expected from a burgeoning field, excellent books and articles have been written on everything from the history of the term ‘magic’ to the range of Greek magical practices attested from Homer down to late antiquity. The present study seeks to contribute to the discussion in a way that is both accessible to non-specialists and challenging to specialists.