Under Your Spell: Love Magic in the Mediterranean
When: August 22, 2017
Where: University of Melbourne

The University of Melbourne is hosting a lecture by University of Newcastle Professor Marguerite Johnson on love magic in the ancient Mediterranean.

From the university’s website:

It was a well-kept secret among historians during the late 19th and early 20th centuries that the practise of magic was widespread in the ancient Mediterranean. Historians wanted to keep the activity secret because it did not support the idealized view of the Greeks and Romans.

Today, however, magic is a legitimate area of scholarly enquiry, providing insights into ancient belief systems as well as cultural and social practices.

Among the types of magic practised in antiquity were love spells. Indeed, making spells of attraction kept professional magic practitioners in business, as they charged fees for writing love charms, making love ‘dolls,’ and even directing spells against rivals.

This illustrated lecture explores the practice of love magic in ancient Greece and Rome, including the rich variety of spells. It also discusses the types of people who performed such magic, including professional magicians and courtesans (experts in erotic magic and charms).

For more information, please see the university’s website.

(H/T Caroline Tully)