Bestselling author Philip Matyszak explores how the Greeks and Romans used magic,who performed it - and why. Magic was everywhere in the ancient world. The supernatural abounded,turning flowers into fruit and caterpillars into butterflies. Magic packed a cloud of water vapour with energy enough to destroy a house with one well-aimed thunderbolt. It was everyday magic,but it was still magical.Philip Matyszak takes readers into that world. He shows us how to make a love potion or cast a curse,how to talk to the dead and how to identify and protect oneself from evil spirits. He takes us to a world where gods,like humans,were creatures of space and time; where people could not just talk to spirits and deities,but could even themselves become divine; and where divine beings could fall from - or be promoted to - full godhood.Ancient Magic offers us a new way of understanding the role of magic,looking at its history in all of its classical forms. Drawing on a wide array of sources,from Greek dramas to curse tablets,lavishly illustrated throughout,and packed with information,surprises,lore and learning,this book offers an engaging and accessible way into the supernatural for all.
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Publisher: Thames & Hudson LtdISBN: 9780500026410Number of pages: 208Weight: 440 gDimensions: 195 x 129 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'It's funny,it's interesting and it's informative. The author's borderline cynical humour,ironic take in parts of the book,and his powers of comparison are thoroughly entertaining'- The Secret Library
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