Latin · AI translation
Latin curse tablets, Curse tablets from Germania superior (Epigraphic Database Heidelberg)
English for the 6 passages of this work that the Atlas of Ancient Myth, Magic in the Ancient Texts and a study of demons and angels quote or cite, and which the library holds in no published English. The numbers are the edition's own references.
4630.1.1–4633.1.2
Rogo Manes
I ask the Manes [spirits of the dead]
Inferi ut M()[a]-
below that M[a]rius
rius Fronto a[dv]-
Fronto, the adversary
ersarius Sext[i]
of Sextus,
sit vanus neq-
be ineffectual, and
ue loqui pos-
not be able
[s]it contra
to speak against
[S]extum ut
Sextus; that
Fronto fiat
Fronto become
mutus qu-
mute when
[um] access-
he comes
[e]rit
before
Consular-
the consular
[e]m ut sit
[governor]; that he be
mutus ne-
mute and
que possit
not able
loqui ne-
to speak, nor
que qui[c]-
to do
quam ag[e]-
anything,
re tanqu-
as if
am (!) nullo (!) ab inf[e]-
[he were] a nobody from those
ris
below.
[I]nimicos Sexti ut
The enemies of Sextus: that
[h]ic non possint [con]-
here they may have no power [against]
Translator's note. Two tablets (4630, 4633). 'M()[a]rius' carries an unexpanded abbreviation; the first part of the name is uncertain. 'Consularem' may be a personal name (Consularis) or a title ('the ex-consul'). 'tanquam nullo' is marked as faulty in both words; the sense ('as if a nobody among the dead'?) is uncertain. Restorations of a letter or two inside otherwise legible words are not marked in the English.
52180.4–52181.1.8
[do]no tibi
[I give] to you
[- - -]EMESMANT()
[...]EMESMANT
Bone sancte Atthis (!) tyran-
Good, holy Attis, sovereign,
ne adsi(s) advenias Libera-
be present, come to Liberalis
li iratus per omnia te rogo
in anger. By all things I ask you,
domine per tuum Castorem
lord, by your Castor
Pollucem per cistas penetra-
[and] Pollux, by the innermost
les des et malam mentem
chests, that you give [him] both an evil mind
malum exitum quandius (!)
[and] an evil end, for as long as
vita vixerit ut omni cor-
he lives his life, so that in his whole
Translator's note. '[...]EMESMANT()' cannot be read as a word; it ends in an unexpanded abbreviation. 'Atthis' is marked as an error for Attis. 'cistas penetrales' are taken as the sacred chests kept in the inner sanctuary.
52181.2.5–54660.5
hoc praesta rogo te per ma-
Grant this, I ask you, by your
iestatem tuam
majesty.
Rogo te domina Mater
I ask you, lady Great Mother,
Magna ut tu me vindices
that you avenge me
de bonis Flori coniugis mei
concerning the property of Florus, my husband,
qui me fraudavit Ulattius
[on him] who cheated me, Ulattius
Severus quemadmo[dum]
Severus. Just as
hoc ego averse scribo sic illi
I write this backwards, so for him
Omnia quidquid agit quidquid
everything, whatever he does, whatever
aginat omnia illi aversa fiant
he contrives — may everything turn out backwards for him;
ut sal et aqua illi eveniat
may it come to him like salt and water,
quidquid mi abstulit de bonis
whatever he took from me of the property
Flori coniugis mei rogo te
of Florus, my husband. I ask you,
domina Mater Magna ut tu
lady Great Mother, that you
de eo me vindices
avenge me for this.
Quisquis dolum malum adm[isit de] hac pecun[i]a [- - -]
Whoever [has committed] fraud [concerning] this money [...]
ille melior et nos det[eri]ores sumus [- - -]
he [is] better off and we are worse off [...]
Mater deum tu persequeris per terras per [maria per locos]
Mother of the gods, you pursue through lands, through [seas, through places]
ar(i)dos et umidos per benedictum tuum et o[mnes [- - -] qui de hac]
dry and wet, by your blessed one, and [all [...] who concerning this]
pecunia dolum malum adhibet ut tu perse[quaris illum [- - -] quomodo]
money practise fraud, that you [pursue him [...] just as]
Translator's note. The first two lines end a different tablet (52181). 'aginat' is a rare verb, roughly 'busies himself, contrives'. 'per benedictum tuum' may mean 'by your blessing' or 'by your blessed one'. Restorations of a letter or two inside otherwise legible words are not marked in the English.
54661.2.19–54662.1.6
E[[.][.]]I[[.]]LO[[.][.]]AS
E[[.][.]]I[[.]]LO[[.][.]]AS
OV[[.]]EIS mancas A
OV[[.]]EIS maimed A
Tiberius Claudius Adiutor
Tiberius Claudius Adiutor:
in megaro eum rogo te Ma-
him, in the megarum [sacred chamber], I ask you, Great
t[e]r Magna megaro tuo re-
Mother, that in your megarum you
cipias et Attis domine te
receive [him]; and Attis, lord, you
precor ut hu(n)c (h)ostiam accep-
I pray, that you [both] hold this victim
tum (h)abiatis (!) et quit (!) aget agi-
accepted; and whatever he does, whatever he
Translator's note. The first two lines end another tablet and contain erased letters ([[.]]); only 'mancas' ('maimed', feminine plural) can be read. 'habiatis', 'quit' and 'aget' are irregular spellings, read as habeatis, quid and agit.
76472.2.1–76476.2
[- - -]IA
[...]IA
[- - -] in sunt
[...] are within
Inimicorum
Enemies'
nomina ad
names, to those
inferos
below.
ICLVM
ICLVM
Inimicorum nomina
Enemies' names
ad infe-
to those
ros
below.
Optatus Silonis
Optatus, [son] of Silo
Faustus Ornatus()
Faustus Ornatus
Terentius Atisso
Terentius Atisso
Atticinus Ammonis
Atticinus, [son] of Ammo
Latinus Valeri
Latinus, [son] of Valerius
Adiutor Iuli
Adiutor, [son] of Julius
Tertius Domiti
Tertius, [son] of Domitius
Mansuetus Senopatium() (!)
Mansuetus Senopatium
Montanus materiarius
Montanus the timber-dealer
Aninius Victor
Aninius Victor
Quartio Severi
Quartio, [son] of Severus
Sinto Valentis
Sinto, [son] of Valens
Lutumarus lanius
Lutumarus the butcher
Similis Crescentis
Similis, [son] of Crescens
Lucanus Silonis
Lucanus, [son] of Silo
Communis Mercatoris
Communis, [son] of Mercator
Publius offector
Publius the dyer
Aemilius Silvanus
Aemilius Silvanus
Cossus Matuini
Cossus, [son] of Matuinus
Vale(n)tis (!) Sinto sive alii inimici
Sinto, [son] of Valens, or other enemies
Valentinus (!) Sinto inim(i)cus sic ⟨qu=C⟩om(o)do#⟨qu⟩om(o)d⟨o⟩#COMDI plumbum
Valentinus Sinto, the enemy: just as the lead
Translator's note. Several tablets (76472, 76474, 76476). 'IA' and 'ICLVM' cannot be read as words. Genitives after names are taken as fathers' names; they could also name owners. 'Ornatus()' and 'Senopatium()' are unexpanded abbreviations, the latter marked as faulty. In the last line 'Valentinus' is marked as an error, probably for 'Valentis' ('[son] of Valens', as in the line before), and the tablet writes 'quomodo' ('just as') as COMDI.
76518.2.2–76521.2
sit respo[nde]-
be able to answer
re qua(e)s[tionibus]
[questions].
Data nomina
Names given
ad inferas larvas
to the ghosts below.
Dis Manibus hos v(oveo)
To the divine Manes [spirits of the dead] I vow these:
L(ucium) C(a)eli(um) C(aium) Haeb()[- - -]
Lucius Caelius, Gaius Haeb[...]
et si quos alios hos[tes]
and any other [enemies]
habeo
I have.
neca illa nom[ina]
Kill those [names].
[M]ansu[e]t[us]
[M]ansu[e]t[us]
Se[- - -]ina
Se[...]ina
Translator's note. Several tablets (76518, 76519, 76521). 'Haeb()' is an unexpanded abbreviation followed by a loss; the name cannot be completed. 76521 holds only damaged names.
The whole original: the Epigraphic Database Heidelberg.