Epig Seminar 071AEC 01/17
Taught MA - Epigraphy
Seminar 7 – Writing to the gods
Our aim this week is to consider the different roles played by writing in many different forms – whether monumental inscriptions, graffiti, rock-cut, or incised on tablets – in mediating between the human and the divine, whether in functional or symbolic ways, and the problems involved in trying to distinguish between these two categories. Be particularly wary of scholars who ill define exactly what they mean by ‘symbolic’. The inscribed written word emerges as a powerful tool, a means of communicating with the gods, even as a means of identifying a god or defining sacred space, a way of demonstrating a deity’s powers, and a commemoration of an individual’s relationship with a god. We shall consider the extent to which epigraphic practice is distinct to particular cults or geographical areas.
You should all start by reading the following two articles that deal with the issue of literacy:
Beard, M. (1991) in ‘Ancient Literacy and the function of the written word in Roman
religion’, in Literacy in the Roman World (JRA suppl. 3)
Bowman and Woolf ‘Literacy and power in the ancient world’ in Literacy and Power in
the Ancient World (1994) 1-16 for a general introduction to some of the broad issues.
Then dip intothe items listed on the general bibliography before plunging into your special areas of interest.
General bibliography
Bodel, J. (2001) ‘Epigraphy and the ancient historian’ in Bodel, ed. Epigraphic
Evidence espec. 19-24
McLean, B.H. (2002) An Introduction to Greek Epigraphy of the Hellenistic and Roman
Periods from Alexander the Great down to the Reign of Constantine 7.10-7.11
Ogden, D. (2007) A Companion to Greek Religion
Price, S.R.F. (1999) Religions of the Ancient Greeks
@Rüpke, J. (2007) A Companion to Roman Religion
Scheid, J. (2003) An introduction to Roman Religion
1. Curses
Why did people inscribe their curses? What is the desired effect of a curse? Why write down the curse in an inscribed format? Consider the language, format, and context of curses. How does the physical form of the curse tablet, its material, and place where it is deposited reflect the hopes of the individual that his/her curse will be effective? What range of social status and what levels of literacy emerge from people’s use of curse tablets? Is it helpful to regard curses as having magical properties? Can we clearly distinguish magic from religion?
General
Bodel, J. (2001) ‘Epigraphy and the ancient historian’ in Bodel, ed. Epigraphic
Evidence espec. 66-68
@Fox, W.S. (1912) ‘Submerged tabellaedefixionum’, AJPhil 33: 301-10
Gager, John G. (ed) (1992) Curse tablets and binding spells from the ancient world
Graf, F. (1997) Magic in the Ancient World
Ogden, D. (1999) 'Binding spells: Curse tablets and voodoo dolls in the Greek and
Roman worlds', in Witchcraft and Magic in Europe, ed. B. Ankarloo and
S. Clarke, 1-90
Versnel, H.S. ‘Beyond cursing: the appeal to justice in judicial prayers’, in Magikahiera:
ancient Greek magic and religion, eds C.A. Faraone and D. Obbink (1991: Oxford University Press: Oxford/ New York) 60-106, esp. 81-90
Greek
Faraone, Christopher A. and Obbink Dirk (edd.) (1991) MagikaHiera: ancient Greek
magic and religion
Jordan, D.R. (1985) ‘A survey of Greek defixiones not included in the special corpora’,
GRBS 26: 151-97
@Jordan, D.R. (1994) ‘Inscribed lead tablets from the games in the Sanctuary of
Poseidon’, Hesperia 63.1: 111-26
McLean, B.H. (2002) An Introduction to Greek Epigraphy of the Hellenistic and Roman
Periods from Alexander the Great down to the Reign of Constantine 7.16
Wilson, P. (2007) The Greek Theatre and Festivals – chs. 12-13 (Jordan, Wilson)
Roman
Beard M., North, J., Price, S. (1998) Religions of RomeI pp.220, 234-5; II 11.5
Heintz, F. (1998) ‘Circus curses and their archaeological contexts’ JRA 11: 337-42
Lassère, J-M. (2007, 2ndedn) Manuel d’épigraphie romaine vol. 1 pp.291ff
@Lee-Stechum, P. (2006) ‘Dangerous reputations: charioteers and magic in fourth-
Century Rome’, G&R 53.2: 224ff
Meyer, E.A. (2004) Legitimacy and Law in the Roman World.Tabulaein Roman Belief
and Practice, Part One
Rives, J.B. (2015) ‘Religion in the Roman provinces’ in Bruun & Edmondson, eds, Oxford Handbook of Roman Epigraphy
Wilburn, A.T. (2012) Materia Magica. The Archaeology of Magic in Roman Egypt, Cyprus and Spain (University of Michigan Press)
Wilburn, D. (2015) ‘Inscribed ostrich eggs at Berenike and materiality in ritual performance’, in Religion in the Roman Empire 1.2:263-285
Roman Britain
Curse tablets of Roman Britain:
On-going publications by R.S.O. Tomlin in:
Cooley, A.E. (2002) Becoming Roman, Writing Latin?
Cunliffe, B., ed. (1988) TheTemple of Sulis Minerva at Bath. Vol.2, The finds
from the sacred spring
Woodward, A. and P. Leach, eds (1993) The Uley Shrines: excavation of a ritual
complex on West Hill, Uley, Gloucestershire: 1977-9, eds A. (English Heritage/British Museum: London) 113-30
@Articles in Britannia – search on JSTOR/ references from CSAD website
2. Vows/dedications
Why did people/groups use inscriptions as a way of commemorating vows and dedications? What motivated people to make dedications? Why were some dedications inscribed and others not? How did the inscriptions define the relationship between worshipper and deity? What monumental forms did dedications take (altars, reliefs, statuettes…)? How distinctive are the forms of dedications in particular cults or in particular geographical areas? How do image and text interact?
Greek
@Day, J.W. (1994) ‘Interactive Offerings: Early Greek Dedicatory Epigrams and Ritual’
HSCPhil96: 37-74
Fornara, C. Archaic Times to the End of the Peloponnesian War nos 28, 38, 50, 54, 64, 80
@Greenwell, W. (1881) ‘Votive armour and arms’, JHS 2: 65-82
Keesling, C.M. (2003) The Votive Statues of the Athenian Acropolis
@(2005) ‘Patrons of Athenian Votive Monuments of the Archaic and Classical
Periods: Three Studies’, Hesperia 74.3: 395-426
McLean, B.H. (2002) An Introduction to Greek Epigraphy of the Hellenistic and Roman
Periods from Alexander the Great down to the Reign of Constantine 7.10
Roman
Beard, M. (1991) in ‘Ancient Literacy and the function of the written word in Roman
religion’, in Literacy in the Roman World (JRA suppl. 3)
@Beard, M. (1998) ‘Vita inscripta’, in La biographie antique, ed. W.W. Ehlers
(Fondation Hardt/ Entretiens vol. 44: Vandoeuvres, Geneva) 83-118 Online at Persée portal
Beard M., North, J., Price, S. (1998) Religions of RomeII 9.5, 12.3-5
@Bodel, J. (2009) ‘‘Sacred dedications’: a problem of definitions’, in Dedichesacrenel
mondo greco-romano. Diffusione, funzioni, tipologie/ Religious dedications in the the Greco-Roman world. Distribution, Typology, Use, eds J. Bodel and M. Kajava (ActaInstituti Romani Finlandiae 35: Rome) 17-30 Online at Academia.edu:
Bricault, L., ed. (2004)Isis en Occident espec. Le Bohec ‘Isis dans l’épigraphie de
Maurétanie Tingitane’, 321-30
Cooley, A. & Cooley, M. (2003) Pompeii. A Sourcebook ch.5
Derks, T. (1998) Gods, Temples, and Ritual Practices. The Transformation of Religious
Ideas and Values in Roman Gaul espec.chs 3, 5
@Derks, T. (1995) ‘The ritual of the vow in Gallo-Roman religion’, in Integration in the
early Roman West. The role of culture and ideology, eds J. Metzler et al. (Dossiers d’Archéologie du Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art 4: Luxembourg) 111-27 Online at Academia.edu:
Keppie, L. (1991) Understanding Roman Inscriptions ch.12
Lassère, J-M. (2007, 2ndedn) Manuel d’épigraphie romaine vol. 1 pp. 210-12, 426-27,
542-54
Petsalis-Diomidis, A. (2005) ‘The Body in Space: Visual Dynamics in Graeco-Roman
Healing Pilgrimage’, in J. Elsner & I. Rutherford, eds, Pilgrimage in Graeco-Roman and Early Christian Antiquity. Seeing the Gods
Revell, L. (2007) ‘Religion and ritual in the western provinces’, G&R 54: 210-28
@Sauer, E. (1996) ‘An inscription from northern Italy, the Roman temple complex in
Bath and Minerva as a healing goddess in Gallo-Roman religion’, OJA 15.1: 63-93
Turcan, R. (1996) The Cults of the Roman Empire
3. Inscriptions and ritual
Consider the prescriptive and commemorative roles of inscriptions in relation to ritual activities. Why were sacred laws inscribed? In what circumstances were inscriptions used to commemorate rituals? Did it matter whether or not such inscriptions were actually read? Why were calendars put on display as inscriptions? What role did inscriptions play in regulating cult or temple finances?
Greek
Dignas, B. (2002) Economy of the Sacred in Hellenistic and Roman Asia Minor
Fornara, C. Archaic Times to the End of the Peloponnesian War nos 11, 36, 85, 90B =
ML 53, 114, 141, 142 = ML 75, 143 = ML 76, 150 = ML 81
@Henrichs, A. (2003) ‘"HieroiLogoi" and "HieraiBibloi": The (Un)Written Margins of
the Sacred in Ancient Greece’ HSCPhil 101: 207-66
@Lupu, E. (2003) ‘Sacrifice at the Amphiareion and a Fragmentary Sacred Law from
Oropos’, Hesperia 72.3: 321-40
McLean, B.H. (2002) An Introduction to Greek Epigraphy of the Hellenistic and Roman
Periods from Alexander the Great down to the Reign of Constantine 7.10
Osborne, R. and Hornblower, S. (1994) Ritual, finance, politics: Athenian democratic
accounts presented to David Lewis espec. intro by Osborne; chs by Matthaiou; Harris;Schachter
Rhodes-Osborne, Greek Historical Inscriptions, nos 1, 27, 28, 62, 81, 97, 102
Rives, J. (2001) in Bodel, ed. Epigraphic Evidence pp.126-36
Roman
@Beard, M. (1985) ‘Writing and ritual. A study of diversity and expansion in the Arval
Acta’, PBSR53: 114-62
@(1987) ‘A complex of times: no more sheep on Romulus’ birthday’, PCPhilSoc
213: 1-15
Beard M., North, J., Price, S. (1998) Religions of RomeII ch.3 + 12.2
Degrassi, A. (1963) InscriptionesItaliaeXIII, 2. FastianniNumanietIuliani
@Derks, T. (1995) ‘The ritual of the vow in Gallo-Roman religion’, in Integration in the
early Roman West. The role of culture and ideology, eds J. Metzler et al. (Dossiers d’Archéologie du Musée National d’Histoire et d’Art 4: Luxembourg) 111-27 Online at Academia.edu:
Gordon, A.E. (1983) Illustrated Introduction to Latin Epigraphy no.19
Lassère, J-M. (2007, 2ndedn) Manuel d’épigraphie romaine vol. 1 p.410-16, 483; vol. II
880-89
Michels, A.K. (1967) The Calendar of the RomanRepublic