Tag: Love

Spells, Charms, Erotic Dolls: Love Magic in the Ancient Mediterranean

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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. It was a well-kept secret among historians during the late 19th and early 20th centuries that the practice of magic was widespread in the ancient Mediterranean. Historians wanted[…]

Should We Scoff at the Idea of Love at First Sight?

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We talk excitedly about meeting someone with whom we ‘click’ or ‘really hit it off.’ So why do so many of us hesitate to call it love? For a lecture course I teach at Brown University called “Love Stories,” we begin at the beginning, with love at first sight. To its detractors, love at first sight must be an illusion – the[…]