About the author
Sarah Iles Johnston is a classicist and professor at Ohio State University, known for her scholarship on ancient Greek religion, myth, magic, and the boundary between the living and the dead. Her book Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece (University of California Press, 2013) traces how Greek beliefs about ghosts, hero cult, and the restless dead shifted alongside the rise of the polis and increased contact with the ancient Near East. Ancient Greek Divination (Wiley-Blackwell, 2008) offers the first English-language survey of Greek divinatory practice, covering oracles, omens, and the range of methods used to seek counsel from the gods. Johnston's work is grounded in close reading of ancient sources and is widely used in classics and religious studies. Readers interested in the scholarly, historically documented side of Greek magic and the ancient dead will find her books a reliable entry point.
📖 Where to start with Sarah Iles Johnston
💬 What our editors say about Sarah Iles Johnston's books
“Johnston’s seminal work delivers a rigorous academic survey of ancient Greek divination, making it indispensable for serious researchers. However, casual readers seeking narrative flair or practical divinatory techniques may find…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Ancient Greek Divination Johnston, Sarah Iles
“Johnston provides a meticulous, academically dense exploration of ancient Greek perceptions of the departed, relying heavily on classical texts and newly discovered sources. While intellectually robust for specialists in…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Ancient Greece
“Sarah Iles Johnston provides a seminal, comprehensive English-language survey of ancient divinatory practices, making this a vital academic resource. The work meticulously illuminates the diverse methods used by Greeks to seek…”
Esoterica Books editorial team, Occult literature desk · on Ancient Greek Divination Johnston, Sarah Iles
📋 Editions by Sarah Iles Johnston in the catalog
| Edition | Year | Publisher | Pages | ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Greek Divination Johnston, Sarah Iles | 2008 | Wiley-Blackwell | 208 | 9781405115735 |
| Restless Dead: Encounters Between the Living and the Dead in Anc | 2013 | University of California P | 352 | 9780520280182 |
| Ancient Greek Divination Johnston, Sarah Iles | 2008 | Wiley-Blackwell | 208 | 9781405115728 |
| Mantikê: Studies in Ancient Divination | 2015 | Brill | 322 | 9789004283343 |
