1 Earliest Rome

11.6 Magic and revelation
Artemidoros, the doctor. Eulamon, Laimeila[.]sion, Kreiochersoprix, Omelieus, Axeieus,
Areietis and Lathos and Tham[ . . . ] bind .
11.6 Magic and revelation
A magical handbook of the fourth century A.D., preserved on papyrus,
includes hfty-three different spells. The longest (of which this passage is an
extract) gives instructions on how to obtain divine revelation and gain immortality.
From the parallels with the cult of Mithras, this text has in the past been
described as a Mithraic liturgy, but it seems rather to be a magical text which
has borrowed some genuine Mithraic features.
See further: Vol. 1,303 and n. 175 and 12.5; Dietcrich (1923); Nock (1929)
231-2*; Beck (1977-8b) 120-7; Hinnells and Gordon (1977-8) 213-19;
Beck (1984) 2051*. Betz (1986) includes a complete translation.
Papyri Graecae Magicae iv.475-86, 618-65, 674-7, 692-732
(475) Be favourable to me, Providence and Psyche, as I write these mysteries, handed
down for sale but for instruction; for my only child I request immortality, O
initiates of this our power (so you should, daughter, take the juices of plants and spices
which will to you at the conclusion of my holy treatise), the power which
the great god Helios Mithras instructed to be handed over to me by his archangel, so that
I alone should ascend to heaven as an enquirer and should behold all things . . .
(618) Say all these things with fire and spirit in completion of the first utterance; then
similarly begin the second, until you complete the seven immortal gods of the universe.
When you have said them, you will hear thunder and turmoil in the environs. You will
notice yourself being similarly in turmoil. You should again say: 'Silence' (a prayer), then
open your eyes and see the opened doors and the universe of the gods which is within the
doors, so that the pleasure and joy of the vision makes your spirit run on and ascend. So,
stand still and straightaway draw spirit from the divine into yourself while you gaze. So
when your soul is restored, say: 'Come, lord, archandara photaza puriphota zabutfux
etirnenmero phorathen erie prothri phorathi.' When you have said this, the rays will turn
on you: look in the centre of them. When you do this, you will see a young god, fair in
shape, with fiery hair, in a white robe and a scarlet cloak wearing a fiery crown.
Immediately greet him with the fiery embrace:
'Lord, hail, Mighty Power, Mighty Ruler, King, Mightiest of gods, Helios, lord of
heaven and earth, god of gods, strong is your breath, strong is your power, lord. If you
will, announce me to the mightiest god, who created and made you, that a human, I, X
son of Y mother, who was born from the mortal womb of Y and from the fluid of semen,
and, since he has today been born again from you, has become immortal from so many
millions at this hour by the will of god, the extremely good, he resolves to do you homage
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