Description
Book SynopsisStuart McKie is an Associate Lecturer at The Open University, UK, and an Honorary Fellow at Durham University, UK. He received his PhD from the Open University and has previously taught at the University of Manchester. With Adam Parker, he edited
Material Approaches to Roman Magic (2018).
Trade ReviewThe strength of McKie’s analysis is his reluctance to engage in more detailed taxonomy and his insistence that each example needs to be examined sui generis … Offers a stimulating insight into the lives of ordinary citizens. * Classics for All *
This is a very full and detailed treatment of curse tablets in the western Roman Empire, supported by a large catalogue of texts for reference. McKie emphasises his modern, ‘anthropological’ approach to their study as documents of social relations in the Roman world, and offers an imaginative but convincing reconstruction of their use and context. -- Roger Tomlin FSA, Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College, University of Oxford, UK
McKie presents an extremely interesting overview of the physical experience of cursing, from the acquisition of a blank tablet through to its deposition ... The highlight of the book is the analysis of the relationship between the individual who was responsible for the creation of the curse and the victim. McKie illustrates the importance of this relationship, which has often been overlooked in previous discussions. * Current World Archaeology *
Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction 1 Cursing and Religion in the Roman West 2 Rituals, Gestures, and Movements 3 Motives and Social Frameworks 4 Agency, Power, and Relationships 5 Conclusions Notes Appendix: Select Catalogue of Curses Bibliography Index
