What new insights about ancient Mediterranean religions and cultures can be found in their magic spells and recipes?
| Extending a research investigation begun in 2015, this project is finalizing an edited text and translation of an important corpus of ancient magical handbooks. |
The main purpose of this project is to produce a new edition and translation of the texts of the Greek, Demotic, and Coptic magical handbooks, from the second century BCE to the sixth century CE from Egypt, together with an integral study concerning the material production of these kinds of books in Antiquity as well as the dissemination of magical knowledge in the ancient Mediterranean. The standard edition of this corpus, the Papyri Graecae Magicae (1921), is outdated and ignores important material features of the papyri. A new text and translation will appear in a two-volume, bilingual edition, a resource long awaited by scholars, not only papyrologists, but also historians of ancient Mediterranean religions and cultures. The full revision of the corpus of magical formularies has also been crucial to understanding the readership and circulation of these books. A companion volume of eleven essays on book production and transmission of these handbooks will be published simultaneously by the University of Michigan Press.
The project has recently been enhanced by two parallel projects directed by members of the research team: one on the study of Coptic magic in Würzburg, and the other a database of magical drawings, the “To Zodion Project” at the Complutense in Madrid. The research team will join forces with a third project at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice focused on early Christian magic.
A spin-off of the project is already starting to take shape. The thorough revision of the corpus has allowed the research team to take a closer look to the language of the magical handbooks. The team is starting to work with colleagues at the University of Helsinki and the University of Oslo, who focus on the study of the language of the papyri.
Edward Olson Professor of Classics in the Department of Classics and the College
University of Chicago
Professor of Classics and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
University of Chicago
Associate Professor in Classics
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
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The scholars will be honored for their co-edited volume The Greco-Eqyptian Magical Formularies, featuring research supported by the Neubauer Collegium.
A conference on late antique magic handbooks
An international group of scholars gathered for the third event in a series of talks on ancient magical handbooks.
The world's leading experts on ancient magical handbooks from Greco-Roman Egypt gathered to share findings and chart a path for future scholarship.
This conference brought scholars together to explore new trends and approaches to the study of magical texts from antiquity and the Middle Ages.
Carousel with 3 slides shown at a time. Use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate, or the slide dot buttons at the end to jump to slides.
The scholars will be honored for their co-edited volume The Greco-Eqyptian Magical Formularies, featuring research supported by the Neubauer Collegium.
Carousel with 3 slides shown at a time. Use the Previous and Next buttons to navigate, or the slide dot buttons at the end to jump to slides.
A conference on late antique magic handbooks
An international group of scholars gathered for the third event in a series of talks on ancient magical handbooks.
The world's leading experts on ancient magical handbooks from Greco-Roman Egypt gathered to share findings and chart a path for future scholarship.
This conference brought scholars together to explore new trends and approaches to the study of magical texts from antiquity and the Middle Ages.
