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מנחה : פרופ'
גדעון פרוידנטל |
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"Ancient Curse Tablets and Binding Spells: Some Aspects of the Old Debate about Religion and Magic" The broad framework of the seminar will be the perennial issue of religion and magic. But I will focus on a particular subset of ancient Greco-Roman documents from what has been traditionally called the world of magic -- curse tablets and binding spells. These documents, known generally as defixiones (Latin) or katadesmoi (Greek), extend from the 7th century bce to the 6th century ce and reached every corner of the Greco-Roman world. The Roman author Pliny wrote that 'there is no one who does not fear these spells.' I will focus on a fascinating and disturbing spell, preserved in several copies, which seeks to bind a reluctant lover. |
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