Arcana Mundi. Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds. A Collection of Ancient Texts.
Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006. Reprint of Second Edition. Softcover. Large octavo. xvi + 398pp, bibliography and indexes. From the publisher: "Magic, miracles, daemonology, divination, astrology, and alchemy were the arcana mundi, the "secrets of the universe," of the ancient Greeks and Romans. In this new edition of a path-breaking collection of Greek and Roman writings on magic and the occult, Georg Luck provides a comprehensive sourcebook and introduction to magic as it was practiced by witches and sorcerers, magi and astrologers, in the Greek and Roman worlds. In this new edition, Luck has gathered and translated 130 ancient texts dating from the eighth century BCE through the fourth century CE. Thoroughly revised, this volume offers several new elements: a comprehensive general introduction, an epilogue discussing the persistence of ancient magic into the early Christian and Byzantine eras, and an appendix on the use of mind-altering substances in occult practices. Also added is an extensive glossary of Greek and Latin magical terms. In Arcana Mundi Georg Luck presents a fascinating and at times startling alternative vision of the ancient world." Includes chapters on: Magic, Miracles, Daemonology, Divination, Astrology, and Alchemy among others. Covers show a hint of shelf-wear, corners a little chafed and creased - still a tight clean near Fine copy. Item #69401
ISBN: 0801883466
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