N. Janowitz Roman Magic

### Summary Table of *Magic in the Roman World* by Naomi Janowitz | Section | Contents | Contributions | Challenges | Argument | Quotation | Sources | |----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Introduction | Defines "magic" as a polemical tool in religious and political conflicts. Highlights its usage in exposing social and power dynamics in the Roman world. Acknowledges the term's lack of self-definition and rehabilitates "magicians" by linking practices to acceptable rituals. | Offers a new lens to view ancient "magic" as a social construct rather than deviant behavior. Challenges stereotypes of magical practices as distinct from legitimate religion. | Avoids modern scholarly terms, making it less accessible to experts. Misses the opportunity to deeply situate within broader academic debates. | "Accusations of 'magic' reveal social tensions, internecine battles, competition for power, and fear of others' special abilities." | "The practices called magic were little different from acceptable religious or ritual practice." (p.1) | Tacitus (*Histories*), Graf's research, Theophrastus (*Characters 16*), Grodzynski on *superstitio*. | | Chapter 1: Concepts of Magic | Explores *mageia* and *magos* across Roman, Christian, and Rabbinic sources. Reveals "magic" as a flexible and ambiguous category, even in legal terms. Discusses Jewish and Christian struggles to separate themselves from practices labeled as magical. | Connects accusations of magic with the term *superstitio* and links it to broader sociocultural dynamics. | Lacks clarity on the historical relevance of sources spanning centuries. Fails to link magic to *superstitio* when addressing Greco-Roman views of Jewish practices. | Magic accusations reflect attempts to demarcate acceptable vs. suspect rituals in evolving religious landscapes. | "Christian and Jewish sources struggled to defend their rites against suspect practices that seemed barely different from their own." (p.26) | Tacitus (*Histories*), Theophrastus, Plato, Hippocrates, Grodzynski (*superstitio*), Rabbinic literature. | | Chapter 2: Daimons & Exorcism | Surveys daimonology and exorcism in the 1st–3rd centuries AD. Suggests exorcism rituals were integral to this era and tied to bodily conflicts between human and supernatural forces. Argues exorcism became "magic" only in modern interpretations. | Introduces a nuanced view of daimonology's evolution and exorcism's role in religious and social systems. | Sources inconsistently cited, mixing Hesiod, Josephus, Tertullian, and Homer without clear connections. Neglects angelology's development. | Exorcism was not inherently magical but became labeled as such due to modern assumptions. | "Exorcism is an integral feature of late antique society where the human body becomes a battleground for conflicts between human and supernatural forces." (p.46) | Hesiod, Josephus, Tertullian, Plutarch, Valerie Flint (*Witchcraft and Magic in Europe*), Homer. | | Chapter 3: Love Rituals | Discusses ancient texts on love magic, like Hebrew *Book of Secrets* and Greek sources. Links suspect goals (e.g., material gain, cursing) to common rituals. Explores voodoo dolls and amulets as mediators between divine and human realms, akin to cult icons. | Frames love rituals as cultural acts reflecting cause-and-effect beliefs, blending religious and magical traditions. | Limited discussion of texts like *Book of Secrets* and minimal engagement with broader sources. | Love magic exemplifies how ritualized activities blur the boundaries of magic and religion. | "Love rituals are viewed as a special type of cultural activity fitting contemporary notions of cause and effect." (p.55) | *Book of Secrets*, Greek Magical Papyri, Faraone (*Ancient Greek Love Magic*). | | Chapter 4: Alchemy | Profiles Maria the Jewess and her contributions to early alchemy. Redefines alchemy as an early scientific pursuit to harness cosmic energy, arguing against its categorization as magic. | Highlights the integration of alchemy into early scientific and philosophical systems rather than mystical practices. | Insufficient examples beyond Maria to support the argument. | Early alchemy reflects humanity's attempts to manipulate natural forces, often misunderstood as magic. | "Early alchemy represents the beginnings of scientific enquiry, attempting to harness cosmic energies for human ends." (p.59) | Maria the Jewess, Swoboda (*Nigidii Figuli*), Ankerloo & Clark (*Witchcraft and Magic in Europe*). | | Chapter 5: Divinization | Examines Jewish, Greco-Roman, and Christian concepts of divinization. Discusses rituals for accessing higher realms and argues that magical and religious acts share ritualistic similarities. | Draws parallels between magical and religious practices, suggesting a shared emphasis on ritual. | Unclear focus, oscillating between figures of magicians and techniques of divinization. | Divinization techniques demonstrate the ritual continuity between religion and magic in accessing divine realms. | "Rituals to gain access to the higher realm do not differentiate the magical act from the religious." (p.85) | Greek Magical Papyri, Rabbinic texts, Christian scriptures. | | Chapter 6: Gender & Magic | Highlights the association of women with magic in antiquity due to societal and biological anxieties. Explores rabbinic literature's portrayal of women as medical practitioners and midwives, often framed as witches. | Illuminates gender biases in accusations of magic and the social role of women in ritual and medicine. | Thematically divergent from other chapters, lacking focus on ritual acts. | Accusations of magic against women reflect deeper societal fears of their power and autonomy. | "Women are unclean and dangerous, every woman a potential witch." (p.96) | Rabbinic literature, Biblical texts, Greco-Roman accounts of magic. | | Conclusion | Affirms that magic and religion in antiquity were intertwined, challenging rigid distinctions. Emphasizes the 1st–3rd centuries AD as pivotal for developing these ideas. | Synthesizes complex discussions of magic and religion, showing their interdependence in ancient contexts. | Does not deeply engage with foundational debates or fully exploit primary sources like the Greek Magical Papyri. | Magic and religion are interdependent systems that resist clear separation in historical analysis. | "Parallels between magic and religious ritual make it difficult to separate the normative from the heretical." (p.99) | Thomassen (*World of Ancient Magic*), Dickie (*Magic and Magicians in the Greco-Roman World*), Faraone (*Ancient Greek Love Magic*). |

### Table of Authors Mentioned in the Review | Author | Works Cited/Referenced | Key Contribution | Context in Review | |-----------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Naomi Janowitz | *Magic in the Roman World: Pagans, Jews, and Christians* | Explores how "magic" and accusations of it shaped religious, social, and political dynamics in the Roman world. | Author of the reviewed book, focusing on the overlap between magic and religion in antiquity. | | Tacitus | *Histories* | Describes Jewish practices labeled as *superstitio* by Romans. | Referenced to illustrate Roman perspectives on Jewish rituals and their association with superstition or magic. | | Theophrastus | *Characters 16* | Defines *superstitio* and its social implications in Greco-Roman contexts. | Cited to explain the Greco-Roman characterization of suspect practices as superstitions. | | Plato | Various works (specific source unclear in review) | Discusses early Greek conceptions of magic and philosophical perspectives. | Included as a historical reference in the survey of magic's terminology and conceptual development. | | Hippocrates | Various works (specific source unclear in review) | Early medical theories that overlap with magical and ritualistic practices. | Used as a point of reference for how ancient medicine could be conflated with magical practices. | | Hesiod | Various works (specific source unclear in review) | Early depictions of daimonology and supernatural entities. | Mentioned in discussions of daimonology and its role in exorcism rituals. | | Josephus | Various works (specific source unclear in review) | Provides historical accounts of Jewish practices and their reception in Roman society. | Cited in the analysis of Jewish contributions to ideas of magic and exorcism. | | Tertullian | Various works (specific source unclear in review) | Christian perspectives on magic and daimonology. | Referenced in discussions of early Christian views on supernatural forces and exorcism. | | Valerie Flint | "The Demonisation of Magic and Sorcery" (from *Witchcraft and Magic in Europe*, 1999) | Traces the evolution of daimonology and its Christian adaptations. | Suggested as a key work missing from Janowitz’s discussion on the development of daimonology and demonic powers. | | Maria the Jewess | Contributions to early alchemy. | Credited as an early scientist exploring alchemical processes. | Central figure in Janowitz's chapter on alchemy, illustrating its links to early scientific inquiry rather than magic. | | Nigidius Figulus | *Nigidii Figuli Operum Reliquiae* (Swoboda, 1964); Esoteric works referenced in secondary sources. | Explored esoteric topics and natural sciences; associated with magical knowledge in Roman contexts. | Discussed as a Roman intellectual whose works provide insight into ancient attitudes toward science and magic. | | Michael Dickie | *Magic and Magicians in the Greco-Roman World* | Examines the roles and perceptions of magicians in ancient societies. | Referenced as a more comprehensive resource for understanding ancient magicians and their practices. | | C.A. Faraone | *Ancient Greek Love Magic* | Analyzes love spells and their cultural significance in Greek antiquity. | Suggested as a foundational text for understanding love rituals discussed in Janowitz’s book. | | S. Weinstock | *Divus Iulius* | Examines the divinization of Julius Caesar. | Referenced in critiques of Janowitz’s omissions regarding Roman deification practices. | | J.T. Ramsey & A. Licht | *The Comet of 44 B.C. and Caesar's Funeral Games* | Explores astronomical and ritual elements in Julius Caesar’s deification. | Suggested as a resource to expand Janowitz’s discussion of divinization. | | Ankarloo & Clark | *Witchcraft and Magic in Europe* | Edited collection of essays on the history of magic and witchcraft. | Recommended for its valuable insights into magic and sorcery across European history, particularly in demonology. | | D. Jordan et al. | *The World of Ancient Magic* | Papers from the International Samson Eitrem Seminar exploring magic in antiquity. | Suggested as an important collection for understanding ancient magic, including Thomassen's clarification of Janowitz’s themes. | | Braarvig & Thomassen | Papers in *The World of Ancient Magic* | Investigates the relationship between magic and religious rituals. | Thomassen’s conclusions are highlighted as potentially helpful in sharpening Janowitz’s arguments. | | Diodorus Siculus | *Library of History* | Provides historical context on ancient rituals and beliefs. | Referenced for broader historical grounding in discussions of ancient magic. | | Apuleius | *On the God of Socrates* | Explores concepts of divinity and the supernatural. | Referenced in discussions of ancient philosophical and mystical views on divine power. |