Editor's note

Being unlucky in love is nothing new. But in the ancient world, hopeful lovers went to extreme steps to woo prospective partners, writes Marguerite Johnson. Magic was widespread in the ancient Mediterranean. Professional magic practitioners charged fees for writing erotic charms, making enchanted dolls and even directing curses against rivals in love. Ancient spells, writes Johnson, ‘were often violent, brutal and without any sense of caution or remorse’.

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Statue of Eros of the type of Centocelle. Roman artwork of the 2nd century AD, probably a copy after a Greek original. Wikimedia Commons

Spells, charms, erotic dolls: love magic in the ancient Mediterranean

Marguerite Johnson, University of Newcastle

Erotic spells were a popular form of magic in ancient Greece and Rome. Ancient spells were often violent, brutal and without any sense of caution or remorse.

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Impact and change: why it's crucially important for The Conversation to prosper

Molly Glassey, The Conversation

It's almost the end of the financial year, and our 2018 donations campaign, so it seemed timely to publish some of our authors and supporters explaining why they contribute to The Conversation.

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