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A curse written in Greek
Top image: Ancient Roman curse tablet found in the Netherlands contains rare Egyptian magic written in Greek. Source: Elke Fuchs, Institut für Papyrologie, Universität Heidelberg

A curse written in Greek

Heerlen, Netherlands. 2nd century AD. Greece and Rome. Known. Free

Known. A lead tablet from Heerlen carries a curse in Greek.

The tablet was found under the town hall square in Heerlen, in the Netherlands, on the site of the Roman army settlement of Coriovallum. It dates to the 2nd century AD. The writing calls on gods and spirits in an Egyptian style. It also has three magic signs. Under them are the names of four enslaved people: two men with Latin names and two women with Greek names. Lead was used because people thought its cold, heavy nature helped a curse to bind.

The page says the tablet may have been aimed at those four people, or written for them against someone who is not named.

https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/curse-tablet-netherlands-00102896