If you’re looking for a highly detailed discussion of magic in antiquity and your focus is on the Western world, Guy Ogilvy has a book for you. The Great Wizards of Antiquity: The Dawn of Western Magic and Alchemy is intense. I will admit that of the people chronicled, I had heard of maybe one of the wizards and magi written about in this book. The book acts as both a history and is filled with foot notes galore.
If you’re like me, there’s quite a few figures of the magical arts you’ve never heard of. The Great Wizards of Antiquity is at times incredibly dense, just because there is so much to know before getting to the heart of the figures in the book. This is not an innocent Summer beach-read and is going to take some time to get through, but it is well worth it if you’re interested in the subject.
The Great Wizards of Antiquity is now available from Llewellyn Publishing.
