The Magus: enlightened magician or Renaissance charlatan?

An unlikely mix of scientist, scholar, engineer and magician, the 'Magus' sat at the heart of the transformative Renaissance period. These mysterious figures ushered in the dawn of modern chemistry and physics, while also performing feats of magic, utilising secret codes, potions and a good deal of astrology. Speaking with Emily Briffett, Anthony Grafton discusses the careers of these men who were seen as genius scholars by some, and charlatans by others.

(Ad) Anthony Grafton is the author of Magus: The Art of Magic from Faustus to Agrippa (Allen Lane, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magus-Art-Magic-Faustus-Agrippa/dp/0674659732/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

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