Roman Witchcraft: ‘Contaminations’ between Literature and Reality

When attempting to reconstruct 'ancient witchcraft' we are bound to ask ourselves whether this phenomenon really existed beyond the fictional dimension of the sources which handed down to us the vivid portraits of many witches and of their frightful powers. This study looks at how elements taken of real magical practices were employed to dramatize fictional characterisations in Latin literature, and how these characterisations deeply influenced and shaped popular ideas about the of the existence of the witches.