Immortality Rituals in Late Antiquity

Extract

Immortality is one of the themes of this issue, and thus I would like to talk about two Graeco-Egyptian ceremonies promising the overthrow of death, one of them actually bearing the title apathanatismos, to render immortal. The detailed texts of both ceremonies can be found among the Greek papyri. The standard edition is Karl Preisendanz’ Papyri Magicae Graecae, and they are thus clearly regarded as magical.