What makes the Greek collection of katares special is that they relate information about the life of a society at its highest point: the Age of Pericles about 2,500 years ago, when the Parthenon was built. Katares are not unique to Greece and they have been discovered throughout the Mediterranean. "You made the spell in the very moment that you wanted to weaken another person, to impede, to make immobile, to bind somebody. Stroszeck's maintains that katares were also dropped in wells, another avenue to the underworld. Katares were also found with figurines and often buried in the graves of youths because, according to German Archaeologist Jutta Stroszeck, it was believed that a premature death would get the spell to the gods of the underworld faster.
According to Lisa Orkin, many inscriptions on katares (or curses) found at the Kerameikos cemetery, near the ancient marketplace where politicians made public addresses, would begin with "I bind to the earth". Magic spells could be made in secrecy and hexes could be buried with the dead, who were believed to have means to carry the curse requests to the underworld. In Ancient Greece, no one was safe from the attacks of magic spells, including people of power such as politicians and orators. Dating to 6th century BC, the inscription on the gold lamella was created by block printing. And to complete the process, one had to invoke a god or goddess (usually Hecate), or multiple gods, and recite magical words of power.Īncient Greek amulet MS 5236, invoking the god Phoebus Apollo. They could be carried in a pouch or small container, or in small bags containing mixed herbs. They could also be written on small pieces of papyrus or a metal sheet. The materials used for talismans included bones, wood, stones and sometimes semi-precious gemstones. Commonly, Greek amulets were divided into two broad categories: talismans (which were believed to bring good luck) and phylacteries (which were intended for protection). These were worn around the neck or wrist of a person, or placed in physical locations, such as a house, to provide the same intended results. ( public domain ) Amulets and TalismansĪmulets in ancient Greece were believed to have provided protection or the attraction of positive outcomes to situations or desires.
Magical book written in ancient Greek, which consisted of seven pages enclosed by a cover depicting a veiled woman's head and a bearded man. Spells and incantations had been used by the Egyptians for thousands of years and the Greeks carried this tradition forward, as evidenced by surviving Greek papyri containing magic records that date back to the 4th and 3rd century BC. Because magicians were believed to be individuals with access to supernatural powers, they were both feared and respected. The ancient magicians were seen as symbols of wisdom, keepers of secrets, and masters of the arts, mathematics and science, particularly chemistry.
For many cultures of the past, there was a very fine line between magic, superstition, religion, and science. The magical traditions of ancient Greece encompassed spells, curse tablets, drugs, potions, poisons, amulets, and talismans.
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