Adina S.

11.30.2010

Curses have been around for a long time. Today archeologists are still discovering several curse tablets and they are very helpful, as “they provide much unexplained evidence into the religious beliefs and practices, language, private lives of citizens, and the influences of ancient magic arts.” (http://www.archaeologyexpert.co.uk/ArchaeologyAndCurses.html)

Curses have been found to be used for revenge, marriage, love, competitive rivalry, or for witnesses in court. They influenced actions or happiness of others. The curse was supposed to appeal to a god or another supernatural being in order for them to carry out the curse; usually to hurt or impair an enemy.  This was done by invoking multiple deities into the curse. Repetition was also used in curses, along with magic words, drawings, sacrifices and the location chosen to bury the tablet. Some were even written backwards. The curse was often written on lead tablets, however this didn’t exclude them being on other materials such as wood, papyrus, and stone. Those written on lead tablets and stone have been better preserved over the years.

“We know from Greek tragedy and a couple of other sources that the Greeks had a very simple curse for people. They could just pray to a god to destroy someone completely: "Destroy so-and-so and his entire household." This is what I would call the nuclear bomb of curses, just a complete eradication of somebody. But none of all the classical curse tablets from Athens call for the complete destruction of the victim. This may be because in most ancient cultures and the Athenian one in particular, there was a strong scruple against killing a member of one's own city.” (Christopher Faraone)

In classical Athens magic was chthonic religion. Therefore, at the time, if one was killed due to a curse, the punishment was treated and punished equally as any other murder would have been. Apparently some believed that if they had done something wrong or evil, it could be made undone by sacrificing something to a god; essentially a bribe. This means that bad people can go unpunished.

In the Roman state, religion was also very important. They had sacrifices and rituals to keep a good “relationship” with their gods, and encouraged others to “identify their own gods with Roman gods who shared some of the same characteristics.” (Religion and Romanization, 61) For example, Celtic Sulis and Roman Minerva combined into Sulis Minerva, a goddess who even had a temple built in her honor. Even Emperors were regarded as divine. Once they passed, it was common to make them into gods, which included building a temple in their honor them. Some may consider it odd that religion could harm people, but “Romans tended to see their gods as possible allies in the struggles of life.” (42) It seemed only logical to them that if they wanted to hurt someone they could ask for the help of a powerful god. Superstitions, magic, and religion were also cause for more careful actions; wearing amulets, evil eyes, marriage only on certain days, and keeping a general wariness of signs from gods.

Sources:

-http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/1/777777122300/

-http://www.archaeologyexpert.co.uk/ArchaeologyAndCurses.html

-The third Cambridge Latin book Page 42, 61-62.

Note: I don't know how to double space on this. But on my Word it was just short of two pages.