Practical Magic: Ancient Roman Smells and Spells with Britta Ager

Peopling the Past

Today's episode is simply magical! Join us as we welcome Dr. Britta Ager - an expert in ancient Mediterranean magic, spells, and curses - to the show and hear about her experimental work re-creating some sweet and smelly spells based on surviving recipes from the Egyptian Greek Magical Papyri. Listen in to learn about evidence for how and why people practiced magic in antiquity, from getting the gods on your good side to taking care of your animals, with a few surprises thrown in for good measure!