Magic and the Supernatural in the Ancient World

Discussion Questions

Derek Pepiak:dpepiak@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu

Are there any other reasons for raising the dead in ancient times other than prophecy/divination?
Barber says that a person may become a vampire if they are bitten by one or if a bats flies over a corpse. Are there any others ways by which a person/corpse could become a vampire?
Have there been any recent studies on the zombie powder? Have any definite conclusions been made since the articles by Booth and del Guercio were written?

Zach Harrelson:zharrel@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu

From the literature it appears that calling up the dead frequently included pouring boiling blood into a victim's fatal wound (as in the case of Erichtho). THE Blood could be interpreted as an agent or substance of life force, but what could be the explanation for boiling?
How, in terms of psyche, shadow and body, are the dead "brought back" during necromantic rites? Does the psyche reenter the deceased body? Does the shadow alone come up from Hell? Are there different categories according to the interaction between these three elements?
In the story of Socrates and Aristomenes what was the point of the witches' actions? They did not seem to get any material or spiritual benefit out of their bizarre murder of Socrates and the tormenting of ARistomenes. Or was this the point?

Kate Bolin--kbolin@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu

Can a comparison really be made between the "zombies" of Voodoo and the "zombies" mentioned in the texts?
For that matter, what about "vampires"? It can be assumed that our image of a vampire is radically different from what the ancient world considered a vampire (thank you, Bela Lugosi), so can we honestly make a comparison?
Can all these supernatural beings, which we consider extremely different from each other, really be grouped in the same category when looking at them in the ancient world?

Michelle Arens marens@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu

1. How are Necromantic spells different from or similar to love spells, prayers, and curses?
2. Erictho must resort to threats when her first attempt at making the shade inhabit its previous body fails to work. Does this indicate that her first attempt, murmuring incomprehensible sounds (which may be an invocation of the gods according to Graf), is less powerful than the threat against the shade?
3. What might have been the reasons for divination of the dead as opposed to divination by another oracle?

Bob Fraser:rfraser@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu

1. In the necromantic scene in the Aeneid, the witch promises that if the dead but now ressurected corpse gives her the information she wants to know that she will cast a spell that will not allow another witch to ever call on him again. IS this how it works does the witch have to cut deals with the dead to get what they want?
2. I saw a late night special on the learning channel and the whole special was on vampires. It seemed as thought the focus of the reasons for the "vampies" in the earlier midevil times was the fact that the women were rich widows who live alone. Who are the vampires today?
3. Dieing in a violent fashion seems to have a certain advantage for the people using the papyri. Is there a larger cirle of people involved in these acts of wanting to know the future that is generally accepted by the public eye?