Magic and the Supernatural in the Ancient World

Discussion Questions

Jan. 22: Magic in the Ancient World

• Zachary Harrelson: zharrel@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • Orpheus, Pythagorus and Empedocles were unique in their proficiency in many "magical" arts and rites. Was this uniqueness due to their individual charismatic personalities or to evolving ideas about shamanism that soon changed to emphasize thorough proficiency in a single "magical" art?
  • Ancient Greeks and Romans, according to Graf and Phillips III, had no concept of a clearly defined realm of magic, though such rites as astrological divination which were frquently harmless were sometimes considered magical. Is the definition of magic any clearer in modern society? Does magic include both harmful and nonharmful qualities?
  • Forbidden "unsanctioned religious activities" were usually banned in Greece and Rome because of secular issues rather than with any concerns regarding supernatural forces. Is this true in modern society? Are we more afraid of practical implications or of supernatural powers that we do not understand?
• Derek Pepiak: dpepiak@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • What were some of the "specific circumstances surrounding a given activity" that resulted in the repression of magic in the ancient world?
  • Discuss the two stages of the Roman conception of magic.
  • What are the similarities and differences between a diviner and a modern-day doctor?
• "Christina Wilson" : cwilson2@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
  • The beginning of chapter 2 in Graf defines magic as coming from the religous word meaning a priest or a specialist in religion. Given this, is it possible to seperate religion from magic, at least in ancient terms?
  • Were ancient witches really "evil" as they were portrayed, or was it just because of the rise of patriarchal society?
  • Jesus is sometimes considered a magician. If this is so, then why was the use of magic outlawed after his death?
• Jason Lapkin: MBrauns929@aol.com
  • Can an established religion exist without magical aspects within it (and vice-versa)?
  • Does the dicussion of magical practices in ancient literature, thus exposing it to the general public, weaken the potence of that magic?
  • Can the discussion of magic in ancient fictive literature be taken as a reliable account?
• Alexandra Kogler: akogler@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • Luck stated that "the borrowing of names etc... from foreign religions is one of the characteristics of ancient witchcraft." Is this something that is carried into present magic?
  • Luck comments on the amulets people in the ancient world wore to protect themselves. Are there some modern equivalents, and if so what are they?
  • What are the differences between the Greek and Roman concept of Magic?
• Kate Bolin: kbolin@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • Are magic and science as distinct as Western society would have us believe?
  • Is all "magic" comprised of elements of "foreign" religion, at least in our mindset?
  • The connections between Jesus and Simon the magician (who was, a bit of random trivia here, played by Jack Palance in the movie "The Silver Chalice") were really fascinating. How much of Simon's "pagan christianity" (for lack of a better term) ended up being mixed into what we nowadays consider Christianity?
• Nicholas Katsaounis: nkatsao@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • How is the art of magic preserved through time? Does it maintain its power?
  • In ancient Greece who were the most powerful witches and through what documentation do we know of their existence and powers.
  • Give your opinion on the theory stating that Christ may have possessed magical powers. Is this justifiable?
• Robert Fraser: rfraser@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • With respect to doctors and priests/magicians, what are the main differences and how does this relationship tie in with magic verses science? Where does one draw the line between the two?
  • What are the primary functions of a ritual with respect to the ancient Greco-roman society? What is ritual? Definition needed
  • Symbols are everywhere, all the time. How are they used in ancient culture to convey ideas, beliefs, and functions?
• Michelle D Arens: marens@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • Misunderstood theology or religious ritual is said to be at the basis for much speculations on magic. To what extent, if any, is this true?
  • Is there any evidence of universal ideas/practices of magic in the ancient world?
  • Phillips suggests that we do not need to define unsanctioned religious activity in order to study magic in the ancient world. Is this valid?
• Bradley Laye: blaye@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • I am a little confused by a connection I have drawn between Luck's text and the Graf/Phillips' text. Luck describes magic as including healing, raising of dead, dream interpretation, and controlling nature among other things. In the historical texts of Graf and Phillips, the peresecution against magic is discussed. The connection that troubles me is the presence and celebration of healing, raising of the dead, dream interpreting, and control of nature that is in the Hebrew and Christian Canon-- both recognized religions of the Greco-Roman era. A little hypocrisy? - Connected to question 3.
  • "If legal definitions of unsanctioned religious phenomena in antiquity were ambiguous at best, the religious ones were not even that," (Phillips 266). What was legal and illegal in terms of magic in antiquity? Or at least, what was prosecuted under the law (interpreted)? Only a few examples given in Phillips.
  • Am I the only one who noticed that based on Phillip's article info., most people prosecuted under the Law (on magic/unsanctioned religion) were people who were leading up to modern "real science"?
• jay munsch: wmunsch@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • How can we distinguish between our view of magic and science and the ancients view of magic and science?
  • Does "magic" carry a negative connotation for the ancients?
  • What did the magi do for the community in which they lived?
• Caroline Maya Schiffman: cschiff@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
  • Why was writing poetry considered a supernatural phenomenenon during the Helllenistic time?
  • How exactly were Jesus and Moses considered magicians? Luck says this but that seems rather contradictory to Christianity and Judism...
  • Why were Christian authors hostile to the Gnostics? Would Jesus have been considered "gnostic"?
• Thomas Brabham
  • Luck says that Orpheus, Pythagoras, and Empedocles are the last to have broad powers and that the shamans after them had more specialized powers than they did. Were the wizards' and sorcerers' powers really as limited as Luck said they were?
  • Why was alchemy so important to the people so important involved in magic?
  • What is the first group or civilization to claim the original roots to magic?