Dictionary of Ancient Magic Words and Spells: From Abraxas to Zoar

From Abracadabra to the now famous spells of the Harry Potter series, magic words are no longer confined to the practices of pagans, alchemists, witches, and occultists. They have become part of the popular imagination of the Western world. Passed down from ancient Babylon, Egypt, and Greece, these words and the rituals surrounding them have survived through the millennia because they work. And as scholar Claude Lecouteux reveals, often the more impenetrable they seem, the more effective they are.

 

All About History is the stunningly realised new magazine from the makers of How It Works and All About Space. Featuring beautiful illustrations, photos and graphics depicting everything from ancient civilisations to the Cold War, All About History is accessible and entertaining to all and makes history fun for the whole family.

Understanding the events that have come before us and how they have shaped the world we live in is a fascinating subject. So often, we focus on specifi c dates such as 1066, 1215, 1914 and 1945, but there’s so much more – going back so much further – that should be recognised. In Volume 1 of this book, we take you from ancient civilisations to medieval times, covering the origins of humanity and ancient Egypt to the rise of the Roman empire and the emergence of the Vikings. • DOCUMENTING THE EVOLUTION OF THE WORLD •

The legacy of the vast empire of ancient Rome is present everywhere around us in the modern world today. The Romans left us poetry, ideas, laws, and vocabulary, but the practical heritage the Roman Empire passed down is most evident in the fields of engineering and architecture, from the vastness of the Colosseum to the elegance of the forums in Rome. All of this is monument to the glory of the rule of ancient Rome and its military might. The Romans’ continued fear of outsiders drove them to relentlessly conquer land after land.

Few civilisations have had such an impact on the modern world as Ancient Greece. It’s the birthplace of democracy, medicine, philosophy, and of course the Olympics, but it was also home to some of the fiercest warriors known to man. In this edition, we explore boths sides of this incredible nation.