The word ‘magic’ evokes a series of stereotypical images of disappearing cards, rabbits out of hats and infinite handkerchiefs; what you don’t know is these images originated with the Ancient Greek’s! Along with these iconic images now they have a far more complex, thorough and cultural variant of magic.
We tend to associate the Ancient Greek civilization with some of the earliest developments of mankind’s fundamental studies: philosophy, mathematics, architecture, astronomy and medicine. Their contribution to humanity’s political, social and educational landscape is universally known, taught and practiced throughout the modern world.
In the Ancient Greece civilization, the concept of magic has a completely contrasting to anywhere else in the world. The origin of magic came as a result of their own admiration for their most well-known and pioneering figures; a notable one being Pythagoras.
Whilst you may instantly recognize him for his notorious mathematical theorem, Pythagoras was glorified by the Ancient Greek society through magic.
Some magical acts attributed to Pythagoras include:
· A river greeting him by exclaiming: “Hail, Pythagoras!”
· A white eagle permitting him to stroke it.
· Various impulsive predictions, such as: That a dead man would be found on a ship whilst entering a harbor.
Many other notable Greek figures were revered through magic, for example: Orpheus and Empedocles. These three gave rise to a positive, surreal, and spiritual adaptation of magic.
The study of magic in the Greco-Roman world is a fusion between the disciplines of ancient history, philosophy and religious studies. This notion of magic greatly appealed to Ancient Greek society because it drew a connection between the divine, heavenly realms of gods and the dwelling planes of humanity.
After educating myself on the Ancient Greek definition of magic, I thought it was admirable that their definition of ‘magic’ goes beyond bunnies out of hats. It is rather a means of appreciating people of importance, to broaden society’s religious outlook – to alter something from preposterous to plausible.
Where we live, magic seems to be quite objective in how people interpret it. However, varying forms of magic do exist throughout the world, with their influences ranging from culture, religion or socioeconomic statuses.
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