Table of Contents Preface.......................................................................................................... VII List of Abbreviations.................................................................................... XV Introduction: The Greek Magical Papyri.........................................1 I. General Character................................................................................. 1 1. Modern Editions and Translations..................................................... 1 2. The History of Greek and Demotic Magical Papyri and Magical Handbooks.................................................................... 2 II. Defixionum Tabellae and Magical Amulets.........................................4 III. Characteristics of the Greek Magical Papyri.......................................... 5 1. Greek Language.................................................................................5 2. Hymns................................................................................................ 5 3. Categories of Spells........................................................................... 6 4. The Magical Operation...................................................................... 6 IV. The Focus and Methods of the Monograph............................................ 8 1. Magic - Definition.............................................................................8 2. The Concepts of the Divine in the Greek Magical Papyri: Chapter Description........................................................................... 9 Chapter 1: The Religio-Philosophical Concept of the Personal Daimon and the Magico-Theurgic Ritual of Systasis...........................................................11 I. Introduction........................................................................................... 11 II. The PGM Spells.................................................................................... 11 1. “Systasis with your own daimon”{PGM VII.505-528)...................11 2. Untitled spell for dream revelation {PGM VII.478-490)........................................................................ 21 3. Untitled spell concerning your own shadow {PGM III.612-632)...........................................................................22 4. “The erotic binding spell of Astrapsoukos” {PGM VIII. 1-63)..............................................................................24 III. Conclusion.......................................................................................... 31 Chapter 2: The Religious Concept of Paredros.............................. 35 I. Introduction - The Basic Concept of Paredros......................................35 II. Paredroi as Daimones............................................................................ 37 1. “A daimon comes as an assistant” (PGM 1.1-42)........................... 37 2. “Power of the Bear constellation that accomplishes everything”{PGM IV. 1331-1389)................................................... 38 III. Paredros as the Resurrected Spirit and Body of the Dead.....................39 A. Scholarly Discussion.........................................................................40 B. The issue of the resurrection of the dead in the spells.....................41 1. “King Pity s’ spell that leads over any skull cup” {PGM IV. 1928-2005)..................................................................41 2. “Divine assistance from three Homeric verses” {PGM IV.2145-2240)..................................................................42 3. “Pitys’ spell that leads”{PGM IV.2006-2125).......................... 42 C. The purpose of reanimating the dead in the magical rite................43 IV. Paredros as the God Eros.......................................................................48 V. Paredros as the Spell Itself and as a God, or Goddess Revealed as Another Entity.................................................................. 48 1. “Spell of Pnouthis, the sacred scribe, for acquiring an assistant”{PGM 1.42-195).......................................................... 49 2. “Spell to Selene”{PGM I.147ff.).....................................................50 3. Untitled spell to acquire a divine assistant (PGM LVII. 1-37)............................................................................. 51 4. The “Lunar spell of Klaudianus and ritual of heaven and the Bear constellation over lunar offerings” {PGM VII.862-918)..........................................................................52 5. “The old serving woman of Apollonius of Tyana” (PGM XIa.1-40)............................................................................... 53 VI. Paredros as Divine Assistance from Homeric Verses and an Object........................................................................................ 56 VII. The Relationship between the Paredros and the Magician....................57 VIII. Conclusion...........................................................................................60 Chapter 3: The Concept of God through Manifold Religious and Philosophical A ssim ilations.................63 I. Introduction.........................................................................................63 II. Helios.................................................................................................63 1. “Spell to bring the god” (PGM IV.985-1035)............................... 64 a) Helios the greatest god, lord Horus Harpocrates.........................64 b) Helios holding the reins and steering the tiller, restraining the serpent................................................................. 65 c) Helios - praised, Iao....................................................................66 2. “This is the (consecration) ritual for all purposes. Spell to Helios”(PGM IV. 1596-1715).......................................... 67 d) Helios - the gracious Good Daimon...........................................67 e) Helios - Sabaoth Adonai, the great god......................................69 f) Helios - the Cosmokrator, the Thalassokrator, Heaven as Helios’ processional way..........................................71 3. “[Systasis to] Helios”(PGM III.494-611).......................................73 g) Helios - the image, the whole of the cosmos; forms and names..........................................................................73 4. “Systasis with your own daimon”(PGM VII.505-528) h) Helios - the Mixture of the Cosmic Nature............................... 77 5. Hymn “To Helios”(PGM IV.939-948)............................................79 i) Helios - 4>ucnxainvpdg dpxcd or cpuori xainvpog dpxy).................79 III. Eros........................................................................................................86 1. “Eros as an assistant”(PGM XII. 14-95)..........................................86 2. “The sword of Dardanos”(PGM IV. 1716-1870) ............................ 88 IV. The Creator-God...................................................................................95 1. “Prayer of Jacob”(PGM XXIIb. 1-26).............................................95 2. “Oracle of Kronos demanding, called little mill” (PGM IV.3086-3124)...................................................................... 96 3. “[Systasis to] Helios”(PGM III.494-611)...................................... 97 4. “The sword of Dardanos”(PGM IV. 1716-1870) ...........................97 5. “A little ring”(PGM XII.201-269)..................................................98 6. The use ofxti '£co...............................................................................98 V. Aion.................................................................................................. 100 1. “Divine assistance from three Homeric verses” (PGM IV.2145-2240).....................................................................101 2. “GOD/GODS; A sacred book called Monad or Eighth Book of Moses about the holy name” (version A. 1-343 fromPGM XIII. 1-734).....................................102 3. “A little ring”(PGM XII.201-269)................................................ 104 4. “Stele” (PGM IV. 1167-1226)....................................................... 105 5. “Another way”(PGM V.459-489)................................................ 107 VI. Chrestos.............................................................................................109 1. “Releasing from bonds”(PGM XIII.288-295).............................. 110 a) Orthographical and interpretation issues: The scholarly discussion........................................................... 110 b) Analysis of the spell - Influences and Religious Assimilations...................................................... 112 i) Chrestos as the creator......................................................... 113 ii) Chrestos as “the one who created Compulsion and Punishment and Torture”...............................................114 iii) The “release” and “open up” formula...................................117 iv) Chrestos “biaios”: Mechanisms of appropriation and integration...................................................................... 119 VII. Dionysus-Osiris..................................................................................122 A. Osiris.............................................................................................. 123 1. “Pitys’ spell that leads” (PGM IV.2006-2125)......................... 123 B. Dionysus........................................................................................124