2355: fascinate May 30, 2021

The fascinus was a device used in Roman pagan religious practices that led to the word 'fascinate'. The device was actually idol representative of the divine phallus. This was seen as seen as a medical instrument in some ways but particularly to ward off the evil eye (invidia). It is in this sense of magic and being under this spell to refocus attention that the sense in English of 'fascinate' was established, which had been used as such even in Ancient Rome.