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| Figure 1: A cursed vessel inscribed with the names of 50 individuals. A nail was driven through the vessel and a chicken left within it. |
If you have ever felt a loss of control, then you are familiar with the need to regain control. Individuals in these circumstances may engage in a variety of rituals to ensure they have some semblance of control in uncontrollable situations, such as wearing a lucky item, performing a sequence of specific tasks, reciting specific words, phrases, or prayers, or any number of other actions. These may seem absurd or silly to you, the reader, but there are individuals, perhaps even yourself (even if you do not want to admit it), who hold steadfastly to these ideas. This was definitely the case for craftspeople in ancient Athens, who engaged in ritualized curses of their competitors to ensure economic prosperity for themselves (the cursors) and economic loss for others (the cursed). This blog post will address the evidence of these curses and what archaeologists and classical studies scholars have learned about Athenian society through the study of cursed objects.
Currently there are around 60 publications related to cursed items discovered in Athens. From these there are at least 1600 curses recorded dating between the fifth and third centuries B.C. These curses have been inscribed on a variety of objects, such as pottery (Figure 1), lead tablets, and paper. These objects would include names, sometimes occupations, of individuals mean to be cursed, as well as consistently a nail driven through the object. There may be additional items with the cursed object, such as the chicken bones for the vessel in Figure 1, but these do not seem to be consistently present with all cursed objects. They all appear to share one common theme: they were lodged against individuals over economic disputes. Individual business owners, their employees, business associates, as well as any individuals who could affect the outcome of the dispute (e.g., witnesses, customers, members of the judiciary) are named in the curses. These individuals are named as they are integral to the financial success of the cursed individual(s). Not only are these individuals identified, but the individual business and the means of production (e.g., the individual’s body or body parts) are often noted, too. Meaning if the cursed individual is a potter they may have their hands identified as needing to be cursed or bound by the god(s) the cursor implores to mete out the curse.
A lot about Athenian daily life can be gleaned given the scale of evidence of curses and cursed objects discovered to date. It was previously known that ancient Athenians had no qualms with curses or engaging in magic. It was commonplace, and anyone within society, regardless of gender, age, socioeconomic status, or occupation, could engage in magic and initiate a curse against another. From additional evidence found within the greater Athenian area it is clear that the city was a multi-ethnic urban environment that was also a center of trade and commerce. This means that there was more than likely a great deal of competition among the working class, who not only competed against other Athenians but foreigners who either visited or eventually settled within the city. The precarious nature of their work and its ability to succeed would not have been guaranteed, leading to a great deal of risk and stress. It appears to mitigate the feelings related to this stress Athenian craftspeople and tradespeople turned to magic, specifically curses. While it is uncertain and impossible to know if these curses actually worked it does seem that they were an effective coping mechanism over the two centuries they were used. Furthermore, they provide scholars the opportunity to better understand the daily life of the common people in the city, which is a rare and worthwhile opportunity that means these curses are a blessing to scholars today.
References
Lamont, J. L. (2015). A NEW COMMERCIAL CURSE TABLET FROM CLASSICAL ATHENS. Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 159–174.
Lobell, J. A. (2022, May/June). Artifact. Archaeology Magazine, p. 1.
Venticinque, P. (2022). Bound for Success: Cursing and Commerce in Classical Athens. . Greece & Rome, 52-71.
7 comments:
Simply based on the fact that that things like magic and curses are very taboo in American culture, it is really surprising how normalized these curses were. Not only the normality of the curses, but the fact that they were rarely just targeted towards just one person. Along with the taboo history of things like curses, in American culture curses are portrayed to be personal things rather than people just being guilty by association. I do, however, find it a bit ambitious that the people of Athens went through tedious measures like this in order to ensure success.
Although unorthodox, this unique feature of Athenian life proves to be a significant source of learning for modern-day scholars.
Curses are an interesting way to cope with the risks of competition. I am surprised at how many people are listed on each cursed object. This is impressive because of how specific each curse is to the individual. Even more surprising, however, is that even the people who can only slightly affect the individual are included in the curse. Moreover, it is fascinating how the uncovering of these cursed objects tells us about the lives of the ancient Athenians and the issues that they encountered due to Athens being a hub for trade full of risk.
-Maxwell Black
It is fascinating to note that a cursed object can be as specific as listing an individual's body parts, business, or occupation. Additionally, it is intriguing to know that anyone, irrespective of their status in society, gender, age, etc., can participate in cursing someone. Today, we can see that Athens attributed great power to curses. Athenians would frequently curse foreigners or individuals with higher economic status, with the belief that it would increase their own chances of success and their target's failure. This practice highlights the importance Athens placed on the power of curses.
-Kaitlyn Wilbers
This information surprised me I knew that cursed had a big impact I just never knew how much. The Athens wanted to win my any means necessary, so they cursed people and objects to try to reach their goal. -Serenity Henderosn
I find it Interesting that Archaeologists and classical studies scholars have discovered around 1600 curses dating between the fifth and third centuries B.C., inscribed on objects such as pottery, lead tablets, and paper.You would never think someone would put a curse on another person let alone so long ago. I also wonder why do they believe in curses and the supernatural.
-Ahmesha Johnson
This blog post describes the ritualistic practice of ancient Athenian artisans cursing their competitors. It is a very interesting fact to me that curses were used to seek financial success and to create favorable circumstances for themselves. I am particularly surprised by the fact that the curses were specifically designated to occupations and even body parts. The fact that craftsmen expected that having their hands or other body parts cursed would interfere with the work of their rivals seems to reflect the harsh competitive environment of the time.
I am also intrigued by the context of Athens as a multi-ethnic city and a center of trade and commerce. In an environment where different cultures and ethnic groups mingled, craftsmen must have worked under intense pressure. It is understandable that curses and witchcraft were used as a means of coping with the anxiety and stress of seeking success.
Whether or not this culture of curses was actually effective is unknown, but it certainly provided psychological support. I also find it interesting that the discovery of these cursed objects provides clues to a deeper understanding of the lives of ordinary citizens at the time. For scholars, these cursed objects are valuable sources of information about life in ancient times, and in this sense, the “curse” may be a “blessing” for the modern researcher.
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