Zara Chadha

Within my research, I will explore the motif of magic within Augustan love elegy, an aspect of the genre which I find particularly interesting.  By making close readings of the works of Tibullus, Propertius and Ovid, I hope to demonstrate how these authors make use of magical imagery and allusions to contemporary magical practices to augment their poetry.  I will broaden my investigation to consider the ways in which the elegists interact with the work of their contemporaries, Horace and Vergil, and respond to Greek literary depictions of magic workers and their practices.  The research will also incorporate study of Greco-Roman religion, together with modern anthropological work on magical practices and beliefs.