Rome and the Roman Empire

This chapter follows the evolution of Roman juridical views on formulas and gestures thought capable of modifying the natural course of events. First, it considers the malum carmen and veneficium, criminalized in the Twelve Tables and Lex Corneilia. Both terms appear ambiguous in contemporaneous sou...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Subtitles:Cultural constructions of ambiguous, unsanctioned, or illegitimate ritual
Main Author: Bailliot, Magali (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Brill 2019
In: Guide to the study of ancient magic
Year: 2019, Pages: 175-197
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:This chapter follows the evolution of Roman juridical views on formulas and gestures thought capable of modifying the natural course of events. First, it considers the malum carmen and veneficium, criminalized in the Twelve Tables and Lex Corneilia. Both terms appear ambiguous in contemporaneous sources, yet they were proscribed in the legal codes, prompting Romans to develop various strategies to protect against them. The chapter also looks at the more ambiguous defixio, demonstrating how one can gain by investigating practices on their own terms.
ISBN:9004390758
Contains:Enthalten in: Guide to the study of ancient magic
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/9789004390751_010