Explore Daughters of Hecate, a scholarly study of women, witchcraft, and magic in the ancient world — uncovering female power, ritual practices, and goddess worship in classical history.

Daughters of Hecate: Women and Magic in the Ancient World is a groundbreaking academic volume that explores the powerful, mysterious, and often feared relationship between women and magic throughout ancient Mediterranean history.

Blending classical studies, ancient religion, gender theory, and cultural history, this collection of essays reveals how women were perceived as both sacred and dangerous — healers, sorceresses, witches, and priestesses who wielded spiritual and social influence.

From ancient Greece and Rome to Jewish and early Christian contexts, the book uncovers how magic, power, and female agency intertwined in a world where women could be revered as divine vessels or condemned as threatening “others.”

Through historical texts, legal records, mythological narratives, and archaeological evidence, the authors highlight how Hecate — goddess of crossroads, night, and witchcraft — becomes the symbolic patron of female magic and power.

“Daughters of Hecate” is an essential academic yet highly readable examination of how magic shaped — and threatened — women's lives in antiquity. A profound resource for anyone studying classics, religion, or women's history, offering a fresh and empowering re-interpretation of ancient magical traditions.