Beyond Magic in the Roman World
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- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
- Publication date:
- 24 July 2026
- 17 September 2026
- ISBN:
- 9781009863063
- 9781009863032
- 9781009863049
- Dimensions:
- (229 x 152 mm)
- Weight & Pages:
- 0.686kg, 356 Pages
- Dimensions:
- (229 x 152 mm)
- Weight & Pages:
- 0.516kg, 356 Pages
- Subjects:
- Ancient History, Classical Studies, History of Religion, Religion
You may already have access via personal or institutional login- Subjects:
- Ancient History, Classical Studies, History of Religion, Religion
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Book description
Beyond Magic in the Roman World reconsiders how Romans understood ritual, deviance, and alterity by moving past the modern category of 'magic.' Instead of treating magic as a single system, Andrew Durdin reveals how Roman authors used labels of ritual deviance to negotiate cultural diversity, social tension, and political authority. Drawing on texts from the late Roman Republic through the Principate, and written by Cicero, Lucan, Pliny, Tacitus, and Apuleius, he offers clear, engaging explanations as to how Romans classified the unfamiliar. The result is a vivid portrait of a society using language, accusation, and imagination to make sense of an expanding world. Durdin's book equips readers with the tools to recognize how scholarly categories – especially 'magic' – carry colonial and imperial legacies that shape interpretation. Accessible and compelling, his study will appeal to readers of Roman history, ancient religion, and anyone curious about how cultures create – and contest – categories of difference.
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