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This talk provides a broad overview of how the ancient Greeks and Romans perceived witches. What qualities—whether physical or behavioral—identified someone as a witch? Were they dangerous or benevolent? Beautiful or hideous? Were witches revered or feared or persecuted? Did they represent male fears about women and power? We’ll look at descriptions of Greek and Roman witches from literary and artistic sources, what they tell us about ancient conceptions of witches, and how they may have influenced modern conceptions.

Presented by Debbie Felton, Professor of Classics, University of Massachusetts Amherst