The Greek Magical Papyri
- Date of account
- Texts copied mainly second century BCE to fifth century CE
- Location
- Egypt, especially the Theban and Oxyrhynchus regions
- Source
- model_recalled_reference
- Record updated
- 2026-10-10
Record summary
The Greek Magical Papyri are a diverse corpus of Greek, Demotic, and bilingual ritual texts from Roman-period Egypt, including spells for healing, divination, protection, attraction, dream revelation, and invoking deities or spirits. They matter for comparing practical ritual, multilingual transmission, religious hybridity, and the distinction between elite theology and household magic. The corpus is assembled from manuscripts of different dates and provenances rather than one coherent handbook. Translation choices, lacunae, editorial reconstruction, and uncertain ritual context complicate interpretation.
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