Details
Arranged chronologically with sections on ancient, Byzantine and modern Greece, this set of studies shows how magic provides a unifying theme through Greek history. As the contributors show, magic was, even in ancient times a private practice rather than part of the established public polis religion, and later chapters show how it was intertwined with Christian belief, whilst remaining largely outside the official realm of the church. Continuing belief in the evil eye forms the subject of the modern chapters. The final section is theoretical, seeking to define magic, particularly in relation to religion, and asking whether it is something which inevitably declines with technological and scientific advances.