Eternal Vengeance: Ancient Greeks Used 'Curse Tablets' to Torment Foes Beyond the Grave
Imagine a time where your personal gripe with someone could lead you to literally “send them to hell” with a magically inscribed tablet. No, I’m not talking about today’s internet trolls and their keyboards; I’m talking about ancient Athenians and their penchant for what we might call “the dark arts of passive aggression.” These folks didn’t just unfriend or leave snarky comments; they went straight to the underworld with their grievances. Archaeologists have unearthed a bevy of “curse tablets,” lead inscriptions meant to curse the living and the dead alike, at the ancient Kerameikos cemetery in Athens.
These aren’t your standard post-it notes of doom; they’re fascinating insights into human nature, or perhaps, just really petty old-world revenge. From curses over love and money, to public hexes against high-ranking officials (imagine General Alcibiades getting his karma’s due, the poor guy!), these tablets tell stories as wild and petty as any modern-day feud.
It’s enough to make you wonder about the lengths one might go to for a bit of cosmic spite, isn’t it? Now, what would Craigslist have been like in ancient Greece? ploys And just how accommodating do you think local deities were to a well-paying customer seeking a bit of underworldly mischief?
Well, if you find this dive into ancient hexes as riveting as I do, then there’s plenty more to unearth LEARN MOREabout Glykera’s jealous in-laws, Athenian law on curse disposal, and the intriguing world of professional curse writers. Plus, it’s not just curses; there’s wine mixing vessels, ceramics, and so much more buried magic from the past. Dive in and let your inner archaeologist of the absurd wander.
These 30 “curse tablets” meant for the dead show what lengths Athenians would go to hex their enemies.
Jutta Stroszeck/German Archaeological InstituteTablet curse containing incantation against the newlywed Glykera by someone jealous of her marital bliss.
Have you ever wished ill on those you disliked, like a hex or a curse? You’re obviously not alone, but as it turns out, even the ancient Greeks dabbled in the dark arts.
Based on a recent discovery at the excavation site of Kerameikos, where the main graveyard of ancient Athens once stood, the Greeks inscribed lead tablets with curses meant to target their enemies both before and after they died.
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