Chapter VI: Critics of Magic

Review of the usual attitude towards magic in the Roman Empire 88

I. _Opponents of Astrology_:
Cicero, Favorinus and Sextus Empiricus 89
Considerations which discount their scepticism 89
Inadequacy of their arguments 90
Astrology attacked as being impracticable 91
General problem of sidereal influence left untouched 92

II. _Cicero’s Attack upon Divination_:
In a way an attack upon magic as a whole 93
Form and arrangement of _De Divinatione_ 94
Its relations to the past and to the future 94
Appeal of Quintus to antiquity and to tradition 94
Cicero’s reply; condemnation of reliance on tradition 95
Divination declared quite distinct from science 95
Divination declared quite contrary to the laws of science 96
Idea of magical sympathy rejected 97
Cicero’s attitude very unusual for his time 98
Question as to his consistency 98

CHAPTER VII
THE LAST CENTURY OF THE EMPIRE

Intellectual characteristics of the period 99 Marcellus of Bordeaux 99 Ammianus Marcellinus 99 His description of the state of learning at Alexandria 100 His justification of divination as a science 101 His extraordinary misquoting of Cicero 102 Synesius 103 His belief that all parts of the universe are in magic sympathy 103 Further instances of his trust in magic 104 Macrobius 106

CHAPTER VIII