Curse Tablets

Abstract

In Greco-Roman antiquity the intense competition (agōn) between opponents in the sporting arena was echoed by an equally fierce competition of magical materials inside and outside the venue. Curse tablets (Gr. katadesmoi, L. defixiones), phylacteries, protective magical texts worn on or near the person, and other magical materials, symbols, and rituals all competed with each other to advance or retard the performance of the competitors in the event. Extant tablets come from the early imperial period to the 6th century ce, but their use in the classical and Hellenistic periods is likely. The extant sport-related tablets contain curses relating to wrestling and running, beast-hunting in the arena (venatio), and chariot-racing in the circus, with tablets relating to the latter predominating. As chariot-racing in the empire became an increasingly high-stakes event and connected with competition among the factions, their supporters, and the ruling elite, the practice of magic to influence outcomes of the races is increasingly mentioned in sources of the period as a source of concern.