Lecture 2 - Witchcraft

These flashcards cover key terms, definitions, and concepts from the lecture notes on the history of witchcraft and magic, focusing on the distinctions between magic and religion, historical events, and cultural practices.

Magic vs. Religion

A debate on the distinctions and intersections between magic and organized religion, often highlighting the rejection of magic by religious institutions.

Pericles Citizenship Laws (451/0 BCE)

Legislation that determined legal citizenship in Athens, restricting it to sons of two Athenian parents.

Katadesmoi

Greek for curse tablets, which were used to invoke supernatural powers against individuals.

Persian Wars (499-449 BCE)

A series of conflicts between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire that marked significant historical events in ancient history.

Euripides

An ancient Greek playwright known for works that often explore themes of magic and witchcraft, such as in 'Bacchae' and 'Medea'.

Definition of Witchcraft

The socially unsanctioned use of supernatural powers to control nature and compel others to do one's will.

Magic as Socially Disruptive

The framing of magic as deviant, particularly in 5th century Athens, associated with foreigners, women, and outsiders.

Discourse around Magic

The rhetoric and attitudes surrounding the practice of magic, often serving to marginalize those who practiced it.

Curse Tablets Importance

Historical artifacts that provide insight into the beliefs and practices of ancient individuals regarding magic and the supernatural.

Goes (Greek term for magician)

A term used in ancient Greek to describe a practitioner of magic, often with negative connotations involving foreign influence.