The place of magic in the intellectual history of EuropeThorndike, Lynn
History
The place of magic in the intellectual history of Europe
Thorndike, Lynn
Magic -- Europe -- History
Bk. vii, ch. 2. “... Qui visu quoque effascinent interimantque quos
diutius intueantur, iratis praecipue oculis, quod eorum malum facilius
sentire puberes. Notabilius esse quod pupillas binas in singulis
habeant oculis.”
Footnote 87:
Bk. xxviii, ch. 6. The eggs, however, it should be said, are
represented as being beneath a setting hen.
Footnote 88:
Bk. xxviii, ch. 3. “Ex homine remediorum primum maxumae quaestionis et
semper incertae est, polleatne aliquid verba et incantamenta carminum.
Quod si verum est, homini acceptum fieri oportere conveniat, sed
viritim sapientissimi cuiusque respuit fides. In universum vero
omnibus horis credit vita.... Vestalis nostras hodie credimus nondum
egressa urbe mancipia fugitiva retinere in loco precationibus, cum, si
semel recipiatur ea ratio et deos preces aliquas exaudire aut illis
moveri verbis, confitendum sit de tota coniectione. Prisci quidem
nostri perpetuo talia credidere, difficilimumque ex his etiam fulmina
elici, ut suo loco docuimus.”
Pliny seems inclined to narrow down the problem of the power of words
to the question whether the gods answer prayer or not, a question
which takes us out of the field of magic unless he regarded prayer as
a means of coercing the gods.
Footnote 89:
Bk. xxi, ch. 19.
Footnote 90:
Bk. xxvi, ch. 60. “Experti adfirmavere plurumum referre, si virgo
inponat nuda ieiuna ieiuno et manu supina tangens dicat; ‘Negat Apollo
pestem posse crescere cui nuda virgo restinguat,’ atque ita retrorsa
manu ter dicat totiensque despuant ambo.”
Footnote 91:
Bk. xxviii, ch. 7. “Mirum dicimus, sed experimento facile: si quem
paeniteat ictus eminus comminusve inlati et statim exspuat in mediam
manum qua percussit, levatur ilico in percusso culpa. Hoc saepe
delumbata quadripede adprobatur statim a tali remedio correcto
animalis ingressu.”
Footnote 92:
Bk. xxxii, ch. 1.
Footnote 93:
Bk. xxxvii, ch. 59.
Footnote 94:
Bk. xxviii, ch. 23.
Footnote 95:
Bk. ii, ch. 9. Indeed, in bk. ii, ch. 30, he gives examples of ominous
eclipses of the sun, although it is true that they were also of
unusual length.
Footnote 96:
Bk. vii, ch. 37. “Astrologia Berosus cui ob divinas praedictiones
Athenienses publice in gymnasio statuam inaurata lingua statuere.”
Footnote 97:
Bk. ii, ch. 1. “Mundum ... numen esse credi par est. Sacer est,
aeternus, inmensus, totus in toto, immo vero ipse totum.”
Footnote 98:
Bk. ii, ch. 4. “Hunc esse mundi totius animum ac planius mentem, hunc
principale naturae regimen ac numen credere decet opera eius
aestimantes.”
Footnote 99:
Bk. ii, ch. 16.
Footnote 100:
Bk. ii, ch. 6.
Footnote 101:
Bk. ii, ch. 13.
Footnote 102:
Bk ii, ch. 6. See also bk. ii, ch. 39. “Ut solis ergo natura
temperando intellegitur anno sic reliquorum quoque siderum propria est
quibusque vis et ad suam cuique naturam fertilis.”
Footnote 103:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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