CFP: Magic in Ancient Greek Culture and Philosophy

CALL FOR PAPERS

Magic in Ancient Greek Culture and Philosophy

Deadline: January 15, 2026

Magic has often been deeply misunderstood in the philosophical tradition—it has been dismissed as primitive, derided as ‘mystical,’ and stigmatized as unphilosophical by influential figures such as Aristotle and later Christian thinkers. Traditions of magical practice in Ancient Greek culture and thought often reveal deep understanding of the natural, physical world and the forces at work within it. In this volume, the term ‘magic’ refers to an array of diverse practices including but not limited to divination, dream work/healing, spell casting (erotic/curse tablets, etc), the use of pharmakons, thelxis, ritual, necromancy, sacred objects/amulets, necromancy, theurgy, and mystery traditions (such as Orphic, Eleusinian). We especially welcome submissions that engage with magical practices and philosophical pursuits; in other words, how are magical practices aimed towards love of wisdom? How do magical practices or magical thinking influence the philosophical tradition?

The legendary Orpheus was renowned for enchantment through music, Pythagoras performed miracles and had a ‘golden thigh,’ Parmenides (the ‘Father of Logic’) presents his poem as a teaching he learned from a goddess when his thumos led him to her, Empedocles declares himself immortal and claims that his teachings will allow the practitioner to control the weather and bring back the menos of a man who has died from the underworld, and Plato often portrays Socrates as an enchanter. Since Dodds wrote The Greeks and the Irrational, there has been some attention paid to the philosophical value of early magical thinkers but sustained attention to this topic is warranted particularly because of the rationalistic bias that has often pervaded scholarship on Ancient Greek texts. We welcome submissions on any texts in Ancient Greek magic and philosophy, including but not limited to: Homer, Hesiod, Greek Magical Papyri, Pythagorean sources, Orphics, Eleusinian mysteries, Presocratic/’Post-Hesiodic’ philosophers, Plato, Artemidorus, and Neoplatonists.

Submissions should be 5000-8000 words inclusive of footnotes and bibliography. Send submissions, along with a 300 word abstract, by January 15, 2026 to: [email protected]