Greek Magical Papyri
| Greek Magical Papyri | |
|---|---|
A picture of the Egyptian god Set drawn on one of the papyri. | |
| Created | 100s BCE to 400s CE |
| Author(s) | Various |
| Media type | Papyri |
| Subject | Magical spells, formulae, hymns, and rituals |
The Greek Magical Papyri (Latin: Papyri Graecae Magicae, abbreviated PGM) is the name given by scholars to a body of papyri from Graeco-Roman Egypt, written mostly in ancient Greek (but also in Old Coptic, Demotic, etc.), which each contain a number of magical spells, formulae, hymns, and rituals. The materials in the papyri date from the 100s BCE to the 400s CE. The manuscripts came to light through the antiquities trade, from the 1700s onward. One of the best known of these texts is the Mithras Liturgy.
The texts were published in a series. Individual texts are referenced using the abbreviation PGM plus the volume and item number. Each volume contains a number of spells and rituals. Those listed by Preisendanz went up to PGM LXXXI (81). Further discoveries of similar texts from elsewhere have been allocated further PGM numbers for convenience.