We relegate the world of magic to fantasy novels and superstition, but magic in antiquity was deeply embedded in all aspects of daily life: childbirth, birth control, business rivalry, and athletic competitions. Students will learn to analyze written and visual sources (curse tablets, spells, and amulets) from the ancient Mediterranean, evaluate modern scholarship, and analyze objects in social contexts. We will attempt to answer several questions: what is “magic”? Who uses this term, and what are they describing? How is it different from religion or medicine? How is it tied to gender and sexuality?