Pella curse tablet | |
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Material | Lead |
Created | c. 380–350 BC |
Discovered | 1986 Pella, Central Macedonia, Greece |
Present location | Archaeological Museum of Pella |
Language | Ancient Greek |
The Pella curse tablet is a text written in a distinct Doric Greek idiom, found in Pella, the ancient capital of Macedon, in 1986.[1] Ιt contains a curse or magic spell (Ancient Greek: κατάδεσμος, katadesmos) inscribed on a lead scroll, dated to the first half of the 4th century BC (c. 380–350 BC). It was published in the Hellenic Dialectology Journal in 1993.[2] The Pella curse tablet exhibits some of the typical Northwest Greek features,[3] as well as a cluster of unique Doric features that do not appear in other subdialects of this family (e.g. Epirote, Locrian). It represents the same or a very similar vernacular dialect that is also attested in the other Doric inscriptions from Macedonia.[4] This indicates that a Doric Greek dialect was not imported, but proper to Macedon.[5] As a result, the Pella curse tablet has been forwarded as an argument that the Ancient Macedonian language was a dialect of Northwest Greek, and one of the Doric dialects.[6][7]
The spell was written by a woman, possibly named Dagina or Phila. It was intended to prevent the marriage of her love interest, Dionysophon, with Thetima, and secure that Dionysophon would marry and live a happy life with her instead. The spell was entrusted to the corpse of a deceased man, named Macron.[8][9]
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