The Magical Spell from Olbia with 'Author's Signature'

Abstract

English Abstract: The Olbian judicial magic spell of four lines “Name(?), Ariston, 3eocles, Menecrates, name and how many assistants that protect(?), all (their) language I inscribe(?). Apollonian”. contains the peculiarities. According to the canons of the epistolary genre, the name Apollonian at the end of the text is the signature of the author; on another side, this name is only an addition to the list of those who are cursed. Ne list of the damned probably contains the names of famous historical figures, magistrates, and eponyms of 343, 315, 314. BC, respectively, Θεοκλῆς Ἀρίστωνος, Ἀρίστων Θεοκλέους, Μενεκράτης Θεοκλέους of the powerful Aristocratid’s family. Ne prosopography dating of the inscription (320-310 BC) is consistent with the paleography (350-300 BC).

Note: Downloadable document is in Russian.

Keywords: Olbia, defixionum tabellae, judicial prayers, magic, inscriptions, paleography, prosopography, interpretation