Sorcery in Ancient Greece and Rome Part Two: Phylacteries

We've discussed curse tablets, or defixiones, in the last blog post. But how did the people of ancient Greece and Rome protect themselves from defixiones, the evil eye, ghosts, or any other misfortunate occurrences? Enter the phylactery.

The phylactery, in modern terms, has a few different definitions, but its use originated with the tefillin, which was a leather box containing Torah verses that was then wrapped around the arm or forehead of Jewish people when praying. The teffilin were intended to fulfill the Torah's direction to keep a reminder of the Exodus.

While this is the most common definition of phylactery, there are other definitions, some of which bear more meaning to our current topic. Phylacteries can also signify a reliquary, or case which holds relics (usually Christian). In medieval art, it signifies a speech scroll, an idea which ties into one of the uses of the Greek phylactery. Even D&D has used the term to indicate an object to store a villain's soul and protect it from death, similar to the horcrux of Harry Potter fame (which is a topic for another time). Finally, the term is used to describe amulets or charms which were worn to protect the wearer, the topic we will cover here.

Whereas defixiones were inscribed on lead, phylacteries were typically written (when inscribed) on silver or gold. If these were not available, a spell in the PGM recommends using tin (PGM 8:579-90):

"Take a sheet of hieratic papyrus or a thin sheet of gold or silver. If you are penniless and desperate, use tin. Inscribe as follows:

KMEPHIS CHPHYRIS IAEO IAO OO AIONAIAEORAPHRENE....

After these names, draw a figure as follows - the snake biting its tail (the Ouroboros snake) with the names written inside the circle thus formed. Add the set of symbols....

This is accompanied by the incantation 'Protect the body and entire soul of me, NN.' When the charm has been consecrated wear it. It is a protection against demons, ghosts, and (magically induced) sickness and suffering."

Another such spell (PGM 4.256) helps protect the magical practitioner while practicing his/her art:

"As you perform a conjuration, wear this strung on a thong made of donkey-skin. The amulet should be made of silver, and with a bronze stylus the name of a hundred letters should be inscribed:

ACHCHRORACH ACHACHPTOU MICHACHCH OCHARACHO CHCAPATOU MECHORASH ARACHOCHAP TOUMIMECHO CHAPTOUCHA RACHPTOUCH ACHCHOCHAR ACHOPTENAC HOCHEU"

Both of the above phylacteries utilize voces magicae - words of power that have no known meaning. These were found throughout the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) and find their way into the grimoires. If spoken, they are meant to be vibrated rather than spoken regularly. Jack Grayle theorizes that some of these might be the true names of the deities being invoked, as some of the same formulas appear over and over in spells featuring the same deities.

A 4th century CE phylactery from Roman Beirut was found rolled up inside a bronze tubular case, and begins with a plea to protect the wearer from all types of demonic and magical attack (GMA #52.1-12):

"I adjure you by the one above heaven, Sabaoth, by the one who comes above the Elaoth, by the one above the Chthothai. Protect Alexandra whom Zoe bore from every demon and from every compulsion of demons, and from demons and ceries and binding spells."

The use of 'Sabaoth' and 'Elaoth' can take one back if not familiar with Hellenistic and later culture. Like our current culture, it was a mixing pot of many different religions, and the magical practitioner would call on whichever forces they felt would get the job done - Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Jewish, or (sometimes) Christian. In this instance, they called upon the hyper-cosmic god of the Jews, the title of Jehovah as Lord of Hosts and thus leader of the armies of angels - perfect to protect against any demons.

The fact that this was found being worn is key - these were meant to be kept and perhaps even passed on to future generations. Edmonds theorizes that this is why the expensive materials were used, as opposed to the cheap materials of the defixiones, as they were meant to be discarded.

One technology that might have been a conscious development in response to the defixiones are the Orphic gold lamellae. Over 40 of these gold tablets have been found in burials throughout the Greco-Roman world, dating from the 6th century BCE to the 3rd century CE. These lamellae were used by initiates of Orphism, a mystery cult of Dionysus, which itself was an offshoot of the Bacchic and Eleusinian Mysteries.

These lamellae were found buried with their initiates, and unlike the defixiones, these contain a narrative. The most elaborate contain instructions on how to get to the blessed area of the afterlife. There is a great variety in the narrative provided, largely depending on the region in which they were located. The complexity of the narrative also varies wildly - it is theorized that the simplest ones belonged to those of the lower classes, while the most elaborate belonged to the higher classes. I believe this might be because the orpheotelestai - the travelling priests who spread the word of Orphism and initiated people into the mystery tradition - might have charged by the letter for creating these tablets.

One lamella in particular, found in Hipponion, Italy, and dating to about 400 BCE, might have served as an exemplar for the other lamellae, as it contains many key phrases that were found in other lamellae located throughout the Mediterranean:

“This grave belongs to Mnemosyne, for the time when he shall die, on the right side of the well-fitted house of Hades is a spring, and close to this stands a shining cypress: Around this place the descending souls cool themselves. Do not approach this spring. But proceed to the lake of Mnemosyne with cold water flowing forth: There are Guardians here: and they will ask you with shrewd speech what you are looking for in the darkness of deadly Hades. Say: “I am a son of Earth and starry Heaven: and I am parched with thirst and perishing: But give me to drink from the cold water from Mnemosyne’s lake.” And they will show you to the Chthonian king: and give you to drink from Mnemosyne’s lake: And then you will walk on the holy path of the many, on which
also other renowned mystai and bakkhoi walk."

So, how do we incorporate such technologies as modern practitioners? We don't necessarily have a lot of sheets of gold and silver lying around, after all. A search pulls up gold and silver leaf, which is typically used for gilding projects. While I have used these for gilding, I worry about these being too thin to inscribe words of power. However, you could use papyrus and gild with the gold leaf, or even use a metallic gold pen, as hieratic papyrus was mentioned several times as a material in the PGM. For the casing, we have so many options available! We have our ubiquitous poison rings, lockets, leather pouches - the sky is the limit if we want to wear these. If we use papyrus, we just might want to keep them out of the shower.