Month: October 2016

From Dissertation to Book: A Few Things I Learned Over the Past 10 Years

October 26, 2016

I don’t tend to get overly personal on this blog very often. Although I adore social media (clearly), the first person singular is an uncomfortable voice when I address the public as a historian. I have always used banter about ancient or medieval history as a kind of protective tortoise shell that makes me seem extroverted. However, I … More From Dissertation to Book: A Few Things I Learned Over the Past 10 Years

A Short History of Demons, Exorcism, And Possessed Women

October 19, 2016

Since last’s week accusation by Alex Jones that Hillary Clinton and President Obama were demons that smelled of sulfur, I had begun to think about the role of demons, exorcism, and demoniacs in early Christian texts. Over on the Forbes blog, I discuss how the subject of demons has a rich past in the religion, but … More A Short History of Demons, Exorcism, And Possessed Women

Picturing the Patriarch: Resources for Finding Illustrated Papyri and the Case for Image Licensing

October 15, 2016

Ancient and medieval papyri not only transmitted text, some even held illustrations. Mathematical, scientific, and magical papyri often had accompanying images meant to enhance the understanding of a text or perhaps to depict someone being cursed. Some historical and literary papyri (e.g., those of Homer) had illustrations as well. I was reminded of this fact this morning, … More Picturing the Patriarch: Resources for Finding Illustrated Papyri and the Case for Image Licensing

‘Bind His Hands’: Curse Tablets and Charioteer Magic in Ancient Sports

October 10, 2016

Over on the Forbes blog this week, I wrote a bit about how social anxiety can be viewed through magic. In the case of curse tablets involving charioteers, we see an incredible amount of energy invested in sports. The culture of athletic competition and rivalry in chariot racing is not all that different from the … More ‘Bind His Hands’: Curse Tablets and Charioteer Magic in Ancient Sports