Iconographies and texts that appear in some series of magical gems are presented in this fascinating study. Magical gems are still a scarcely explored area of antiquity in which new features of religion can be discovered. This volume presents an intriguing religious complex that concerns the Egyptian Kronos, his relations with Syrian culture, and Platonism. A totally new aspect of the book considers the reflection of Brahmanic thought on the iconography of magical gems. This book gathers five studies on these and other topics.
 
Attilio Mastrocinque is in the Department of Time, Space, Image, and Society at the University of Verona in Italy. In addition to his work with magical gems, his other primary areas of interest are ancient Mediterranean religions, as well as Roman religion, Roman history, and Hellenistic history. Professor Mastrocinque also is working on another book project: Bona Dea and the Cults of Roman Women.