INTRODUCTION 



outlines into clear relief. Originally they were a 

 local tribe of the Medes, who became a priestly 

 caste, thus presenting a curious parallel to the tribe 

 of Levi among the Hebrews. Greek tradition had it 

 that the Magian rehgion was introduced among the 

 Persians by Cyrus, and there is nothing improbable 

 in this behef. It certainly contained much esoteric 

 knowledge and priestcraft, but whether any " magic " 

 was employed is a matter of dispute ; a fragment of 

 Aristotle " expressly denies it, but Herodotus * 

 speaks of Magian incantations. This narrow denota- 

 tion of Magi was gradually widened, resulting 

 finally in the use of the word " magician." 



By the beginning of the first century a.d. the 

 word had gone half-way on its journey. The Magi 

 could be " wise men from the East," " and Cicero 

 speaks of them as " wise and learned men among the 

 Persians," ** but Ovid * mentions cantusque artesque 

 magarum, that is, witches' spells and incantations. 



PHny devotes the first eighteen sections of his 

 thirtieth book to a consideration of the Magi. His 

 account of their origin is true in its outhnes, though 

 combined with much obvious fable. He speaks of 

 their art as springing from medicina, reinforced by 

 religio and artes malhematicaeJ Some of the Magian 

 methods are given in XXVHI. § 104 (lucernis, pelvi, 

 aqua, pila) and at shghtly greater length in XXX. § 14 

 (aqua, spkaeris, aere, siellis, luceriiis , pelvihus , securibus) ; 

 they are curiously suggestive of modern fortune 



" Fr. 36 TTjv yoriTiKrjv fiayeCav ovBe eyvoyaav. 

 " See e.(j. VII. 191. " See Matthew II. 1, 2. 



" De Div. I. 23, 46 and I. 41, 90. Cf. Juvenal III. 77. 

 * Ovid Melamorphoses VII. 195. 



f Pliny XXX. § 1 ; by the last {artes mathemaiicae) is meant 

 astrology. 



xxi 



