Witchcraft and the Occult in the Greco-Roman World

Question 1

Who is Hecate?

Answer 1

Goddess of witchcraft and necromancy

Question 2

What was Hecate associated with?

Answer 2

Goddess of the night/moon
spiritual underworld
could see the past, present, future

Question 3

What were the terms used to refer to magic in the Greco-Roman era?

Answer 3

Theougia, Mageia, Goetia

Question 4

Theougia

Answer 4

high magic, studying cosmic orders, mysticism

Question 5

Mageia

Answer 5

magic or sorcery, middle class magicians with special duties

Question 6

Goetia

Answer 6

sorcerer or wizard, trying to gain something practical, deemed trickery, more suspicious

Question 7

What were the Magical Handbooks/Papyri

Answer 7

A collection of spells, instructions, rituals

Question 8

What is the Greek Magical Papyri?

Answer 8

a collection of spells, texts and booklets with a range of subjects, references deities

Question 9

What were demon bowls?

Answer 9

Used to trap evil spirits or demons

Question 10

Why is the story of the Metamorphosis important?

Answer 10

Gives us a glimpse into mystery cults like the cult of isis

Question 11

Significance of transformation in greco-roman culture

Answer 11

viewed as punishments from the gods
hybrid creatures were seen as outsiders or something dangerous
later it was seen as evidence of witchcraft

Question 12

Describe the evolution of sorcery

Answer 12

started as a device used to talk to spirits, soon became a pejorative and then linked to demonology

Question 13

How did the word daimon change over time?

Answer 13

homer used it as a synonym for theos
socrates used it as a word to refer to spirits who were between gods and humans
xenocrates shifted dark qualities onto demons

Question 14

What were the different forms of the witch?

Answer 14

harpes, striga stiges stix, lamias, gorgons

Question 15

What is a harpes?

Answer 15

flying wing woman, characteristics similar to witches, hybrid to invoke fear

Question 16

What is a striga stiges stix?

Answer 16

vampire owls who eats babies

Question 17

What is a lamias?

Answer 17

half serpent who seduced men and ate children

Question 18

What is a gorgon?

Answer 18

hair made from serpents, eyes that turn people to stone, wide mouths and tongues
example: Medusa

Question 19

What does Circe symbolize?

Answer 19

symbolizes beauty and seduction by being enchanting and bewitching

Question 20

How does Circe use witchcraft?

Answer 20

uses spells and pharmaka to turn odysseus’ men into pigs, seduced odysseus, has control over all animals on her island

Question 21

Who is Medea? How is she described?

Answer 21

Witch dominated by violent passion/infatuation

Question 22

Who is Erichtho? How is she described?

Answer 22

An old and ugly witch, uses necromancy, is a destructive witch

Question 23

What was drawing down the moon done for??

Answer 23

Women used the power of the moon to attract/win back lovers
- females taking control was unusual
Other reasons could include avoiding debt payment or simply done just to collect the moons power

Question 24

Who performed the drawing down the moon ceremony?

Answer 24

someone who is not in a normative place in the social political order, not mature or male but is old, female, or alien

Question 25

What is an example of a greco-roman occult?

Answer 25

The festival of Dionysos, lead by a goat

Question 26

What are some aspects of greco-roman occultism?

Answer 26

• had similar practices to christianity such as baptism
• had several layers
  
  • the more initiated you become the more knowledge you got
• usually based on one figure
• linked with the underworld, death, immortal souls, etc..
• were destroyed by the early christians
• pay to get in

Question 27

How did early Christians feel about mystery religions/the occult?

Answer 27

did not like them, destroyed them

Question 28

How did greco-romans end up using/viewing magic?

Answer 28

Used it to mark groups that were illegitimate, deviant, dangerous

Question 29

Who was the most respected magic practitioner?

Answer 29

older male practitioners