Adina S.
11.30.2010
Curses and Religion in Late Antiquity
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. 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)
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)
The Jerusalem Temple was destroyed by Roman forces at the end of the Jewish revolt of AD 66–70. This didn’t, nevertheless, stop the Jews from rebuilding the Temple and continue to worship. “Hostility to Rome for the destruction of the Temple did not prevent Jews within the Roman and Byzantine empires integrating into mainstream culture, but the Christianization of the empire, and not least the adoption of Palaestina as a Christian Holy Land.” (http://www.ocla.ox.ac.uk/sect_jjw.shtml)
Constantine ended the persecution of Christianity by issuing the Edict of Milan in 313. Therefore the Pagan religion was no longer the only acceptable religion in the state. While the temples were shut in 356 there is still evidence that traditional sacrifices occurred. Under the ruling of Julian, Roman Emperor from 355 to 363, however, the temples were reopened and State religious sacrifices were legalized. There were a few back and forth’s until finally Theodosius made it illegal again, once and for all ending “an era of religious toleration.”(Wikipedia) He also stated Rome to be a Christian Empire and with the edict of Thessalonica created several laws against pagan practices. However, it took until the 7th century for the population to abandon some of their pagan customs. This leads to believe that cursing and sacrifices, though made illegal were around for centuries after, and most likely adapted into Christianity in different forms.
Sources:
-The third Cambridge Latin book Page 42, 61-62.
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