La magia nel mondo antico

While a bit dated now, this book remains an important introductory text on ancient magic. I recently read Collins' Magic in the Ancient Greek World which responds to Graf in many ways and now I see why Collins made some of the choices he did. If you come to this book looking for something exciting

Quello di Graf è un caposaldo per gli interessati al tema della magia in Grecia e nel mondo antico; tanto più che si tratta di un'edizione piuttosto recente. Lo studioso tratteggia con dovizia di particolare, senza mai risultare noioso, il ruolo e lo statuto della magia e del mago, a partire da un'in Leggi tutto

Too short to examine more than one or two topics in detail, but I particularly liked the examination of literary texts, and Graf’s caution that literature follows its own rules and is not always reflective of the reality that writers are seeking to depict (like how films always present binoculars as Leggi tutto

This is a very helpful book for anyone who would like to know how the ancients thought about magic and the supernatural. Graf traces themes and approaches that surface in Ancient Greece, and reappear in writings a thousand years later.