1 Earliest Rome

I I . T H R E A T S T O T H E R O M A N O R D E R
11.5b A jealous lover (late republican/Augustan date)
In this text on a lead tablet from a cemetery just outside Rome a jealous lover
of Rhodine commended her to Dis Pater, so that she should not favour Marcus
Licinius Faustus. At the end four other men and women are also cursed.
7LS8749;A. Audollent, Defixionum tabellae (Paris, 1904) no. 139; CIL\ 2
. 1012
Just as the dead man who is buried here can neither speak nor talk, so may Rhodine die
to Marcus Licinius Faustus and not be able to speak nor talk. As the dead man is received
neither by gods nor humans, so may Rhodine be received by Marcus Licinius and have as
much strength as the dead man who is buried here. Dis Pater, I entrust Rliodine to you,
that she be always hateful to Marcus Licinius Faustus. Also Marcus Hedius Amphio. Also
Gaius Popillius Apollonius. Also Vennonia Hermiona. Also Sergia Glycinna.
/LS3001
11.5c A slaves revenge on his employers (late first century A.D.)
A public slave of the colonia of Tuder in central Italy affixed curses against local
councillors to some tombs. This text, inscribed on the base of a statue, was set
up to record how Jupiter, rather mysteriously, prevented disaster.
For the well-being of the colonia and the order of councillors and the people of Tuder, to
Jupiter Optimus Maximus guardian and preserver, because he removed by
his divine power the names of members of the order of councillors that had been affixed
to tombs (?) by the despicable criminal action of the most accursed public slave, and
because He vindicated and freed from fear of danger the colonia and citizens,
Lucius Cancrius Primigenius, ex-slave of Clemens, sevtr, Augustalis and Flavialis, who was
the first to receive these honours from the council, 1
fulfilled his vow.
1. Cancrius was the first Flavialis, that is priest of the deified Flavian emperors. For seviri
and Augustales see 8.6 and Vol. 1, 357-9.
11.5d A plea for retribution (third century A.D. ?)
In this text, in Greek, on a lead tablet from a cemetery just outside Rome, a man
whose brother (Demetrios) has died, perhaps at the hands of a military doctor,
curses the doctor with the aid of eight demonic powers listed at the end.
SEGxw.615; M. Guarducci, Epigrafia Greca (Rome, 1978) iv.251-4
Bind Artemidoros the doctor, the son of Artemidoros, belonging to the third Praetorian
cohort. Assisting is the brother of the late Demetrios, who wants now to go to his
own native land. So do not release him , but bind the land of Italy for
ever and dash the gates of the Romans. But bind Artemidoros the son of
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