Unit 1. What Are the “Greek Magical Papyri”?
Let’s begin with the fundamental question: What are the Greek Magical Papyri? Here’s a hint: There are two correct answers.
Unit 2. The Two Types of Magical Papyri
The Greek Magical Papyri were written between the 2nd century BCE and the 7th century CE with the majority being dated between the 3rd and the 4th century. All of the papyri were found in Egypt.
There are two types of texts: Ritual instructions and magical artefacts. Ritual instructions tell us how communication and interaction with higher powers were ritually initiated and realised while magical artefacts are products from ritual practice. There are slightly more papyrus artefacts preserved today than ritual manuals.
Ritual Manuals
Ritual manuals were either created as scrolls or as books. The technical term for the latter is codex, the plural is codices. There is no technical term for scrolls. The two most extensive Greek ritual manuals known to us today comprise over 50 instructions each. One is a scroll (PGM VII) and one is a book (PGM IV).
Here are photos of the most extensive Greek magical papyrus scrolls and books:
Magical Artefacts
Greek magical papyrus artefacts were commonly folded multiple times and shaped into small packages. They were often worn on the body and served for the benefit of their owners. Here is a selection of magical artefacts with various purposes:
Unit 3. The Geographical Extension of Graeco-Egyptian Magic
The rituals and believes preserved in the Greek Magical Papyri were not limited to Egypt where the papyri were found. They were widespread throughout the Roman Empire which is attested by thousands of inscribed magical artefacts found from Great Britain to Northern Africa and from Spain to the Near East. Move the slider to get an idea of the geographical scope of ancient Graeco-Egyptian magic.
Unit 4. A Brief Timeline of the Greek Magical Papyri
This is a chronology of the Greek magical papyri, introducing to you the earliest and the latest Greek magical papyri as well as some of the most unusual ones. Click the “Fullscreen” button in the top right corner and scroll down to see the interactive timeline below the background image. You can click on the thumbnails to get directly to individual papyri.
