ANCIENT GREEK LOVE MAGIC
by Faraone, Christopher A
- Used
- Paperback
- Condition
- Very Good+
- ISBN 10
- 0674006968
- ISBN 13
- 9780674006966
- Seller
-
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Harvard University Press. Very Good+. 2001. Softcover. 0674006968 . Spine sunned and a bit discolored. Faint shelfwear. ; The ancient Greeks commonly resorted to magic spells to attract and keep lovers--as numerous allusions in Greek literature and recently discovered "voodoo dolls," magical papyri, gemstones, and curse tablets attest. Surveying and analyzing these various texts and artifacts, Christopher Faraone reveals that gender is the crucial factor in understanding love spells. There are, he argues, two distinct types of love magic: the curselike charms used primarily by men to torture unwilling women with fiery and maddening passion until they surrender sexually; and the binding spells and debilitating potions generally used by women to sedate angry or philandering husbands and make them more affectionate. Faraone's lucid analysis of these spells also yields a number of insights about the construction of gender in antiquity, for example, the "femininity" of socially inferior males and the "maleness" of autonomous prostitutes. Most significantly, his findings challenge the widespread modern view that all Greek men considered women to be naturally lascivious. Faraone reveals the existence of an alternate male understanding of the female as "naturally" moderate and chaste, who uses love magic to pacify and control the "naturally" angry and passionate male. This fascinating study of magical practices and their implications for perceptions of male and female sexuality offers an unusual look at ancient Greek religion and society. ; 224 pages .
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Details
- Bookseller
- Ancient World Books (CA)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 33584
- Title
- ANCIENT GREEK LOVE MAGIC
- Author
- Faraone, Christopher A
- Format/Binding
- Softcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good+
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN 10
- 0674006968
- ISBN 13
- 9780674006966
- Publisher
- Harvard University Press
- Place of Publication
- Cambridge
- Date Published
- 2001
- Keywords
- 0674006968, Greek Literature, Classical Greek & Roman, Magic
Terms of Sale
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About the Seller
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Good+
- A term used to denote a condition a slight grade better than Good.
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Sunned
- Damage done to a book cover or dust jacket caused by exposure to direct sunlight. Very strong fluorescent light can cause slight...
- Shelfwear
- Minor wear resulting from a book being place on, and taken from a bookshelf, especially along the bottom edge.