The emperor Constantine issued a constitution condemning severely the science of those practicing magic arts to harm the safety of men and to turn virtuous minds to lust. However the emperor allowed to use magic to heal people and rituals to defend the harvest from heavy weather. Hence, the first Christian emperor divided magic arts in good and bad ones, and, by means of this text, enriched with classical reminiscences, permitted the use of ‘good magic’. The present paper considers in depth this peculiar Constantinian law, devoting specific attention to its legal contents, to its links with the previous rules on the subject and to its Late Antique interpretations.
Romani semper magicas damnarunt ? La bipartizione delle magicae artes secondo Costantino (C. Th. 9.16.3 = C. 9.18.4) / Agnati, Ulrico. - In: IURIS ANTIQUI HISTORIA. - ISSN 2035-4967. - 8:(2016), pp. 11-32.
Romani semper magicas damnarunt ? La bipartizione delle magicae artes secondo Costantino (C. Th. 9.16.3 = C. 9.18.4)
AGNATI, Ulrico
2016-01-01
Abstract
The emperor Constantine issued a constitution condemning severely the science of those practicing magic arts to harm the safety of men and to turn virtuous minds to lust. However the emperor allowed to use magic to heal people and rituals to defend the harvest from heavy weather. Hence, the first Christian emperor divided magic arts in good and bad ones, and, by means of this text, enriched with classical reminiscences, permitted the use of ‘good magic’. The present paper considers in depth this peculiar Constantinian law, devoting specific attention to its legal contents, to its links with the previous rules on the subject and to its Late Antique interpretations.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
