Ancient Studies Y4-L3
Greco-Roman Witches and Wizards
Welcome back, students! I’m glad to see that you are all suitably dressed for this rather chilly weather. Fall is beautiful, but requires rather more scarves than one expects! No time for togas today, so let’s jump right into our lesson.
During the ages of the Greco-Romans there were countless witches and wizards. Some of them lead normal lives, while many of them were extraordinary in the discoveries they made, the knowledge they passed on to others, and the feats that they accomplished - or tried to accomplish as the case may be.
Today we will discuss three of the most interesting and influential Greco-Romans from ancient times, as well as have a look at the Priestesses and Priests, …show more content…
Orpheus’ life and accomplishments have been turned by muggles into myth, and so much of the data on his lifetime has been lost, including when exactly he lived. We can generally assume that it was some time very early on in the Greek civilization, but it may have been even earlier.
Orpheus was born in the area of Pimpleia, although he spent most of his formative years living with his magical family somewhere around Parnassus. Sometime in his teen years, he decided he wanted to know more about magic than his family could teach him, and so he set out to travel the known-world to learn from other witches and wizards. We know that he spent a significant amount of his time in Ancient Egypt where he studied divination.
Orpheus and Eurydice, Jean-Louis Ducis, …show more content…
His wife, Eurydice, died tragically after fleeing from what was believed to be a satyr who wanted to possess her. In the muggle mythology of the story, Orpheus journeyed to the underworld to beg for her to return to him, and his music aided him in that pursuit. Unfortunately, his hasty nature broke the one rule he had to follow, and, tragically, Eurydice was returned to the underworld again.
In reality, Orpheus did not journey to the underworld, but started dabbling in the forbidden art of Necromancy. Even with the slim chance of reuniting with his beloved wife as a motivator, Orpheus found the practice too distasteful and gave it up.
Single once more, Orpheus found himself desired by many women who had heard his incredible music and seen his many talents. He had no interest in these women, but did not realize the intensity of their desire for him. In one of the most bizarre deaths we will mention today (but not the most incredible - we will save that for Empedocles), the women threw themselves at Orpheus only to find him struggling against their advances. In what was one of the earliest recordings of mob-mentality, the women went mad and literally tore Orpheus to shreds. Not a pleasant ending for a man who brought much beauty to the
Greco-Roman Witches and Wizards
Welcome back, students! I’m glad to see that you are all suitably dressed for this rather chilly weather. Fall is beautiful, but requires rather more scarves than one expects! No time for togas today, so let’s jump right into our lesson.
During the ages of the Greco-Romans there were countless witches and wizards. Some of them lead normal lives, while many of them were extraordinary in the discoveries they made, the knowledge they passed on to others, and the feats that they accomplished - or tried to accomplish as the case may be.
Today we will discuss three of the most interesting and influential Greco-Romans from ancient times, as well as have a look at the Priestesses and Priests, …show more content…
Orpheus’ life and accomplishments have been turned by muggles into myth, and so much of the data on his lifetime has been lost, including when exactly he lived. We can generally assume that it was some time very early on in the Greek civilization, but it may have been even earlier.
Orpheus was born in the area of Pimpleia, although he spent most of his formative years living with his magical family somewhere around Parnassus. Sometime in his teen years, he decided he wanted to know more about magic than his family could teach him, and so he set out to travel the known-world to learn from other witches and wizards. We know that he spent a significant amount of his time in Ancient Egypt where he studied divination.
Orpheus and Eurydice, Jean-Louis Ducis, …show more content…
His wife, Eurydice, died tragically after fleeing from what was believed to be a satyr who wanted to possess her. In the muggle mythology of the story, Orpheus journeyed to the underworld to beg for her to return to him, and his music aided him in that pursuit. Unfortunately, his hasty nature broke the one rule he had to follow, and, tragically, Eurydice was returned to the underworld again.
In reality, Orpheus did not journey to the underworld, but started dabbling in the forbidden art of Necromancy. Even with the slim chance of reuniting with his beloved wife as a motivator, Orpheus found the practice too distasteful and gave it up.
Single once more, Orpheus found himself desired by many women who had heard his incredible music and seen his many talents. He had no interest in these women, but did not realize the intensity of their desire for him. In one of the most bizarre deaths we will mention today (but not the most incredible - we will save that for Empedocles), the women threw themselves at Orpheus only to find him struggling against their advances. In what was one of the earliest recordings of mob-mentality, the women went mad and literally tore Orpheus to shreds. Not a pleasant ending for a man who brought much beauty to the