Cursing Athenians: An enquiry into the position and role of curse tablets in Classical Athenian religion and society from the perspectives of the Underworld and gender
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2024-06-28
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en
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This thesis investigates the role and position of curse tablets in Classical Athenian religion and society. Curse tablets usually take the form of a thin sheet of lead that is inscribed with a binding spell and subsequently folded or rolled, ritually pierced with a nail, and deposited underground, often in graves, tombs, or wells. A binding spell is meant to bind or restrain a rival in order to disadvantage them in a number of possible situations, the most common of which are: in legal proceedings, in matters of love, in business rivalries, and in competitions in theatre and sport. This research aims to show how these tablets were not a niche of society or a wastebasket of religion. They were an integral part of Athenian society, and everyone knew of their existence. They were used by people from all layers of society and by both men and women.
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Faculteit der Letteren