Getty Museum

Tablet (Lamella) with an Incantation against Pain

Date

3rd century A.D.

Medium

Silver

Culture

Roman

Department

Texts

Institution

Getty Museum

A thin square-shaped metal sheet covered with approximately 13 lines of Greek text, a personal incantation to prevent pain. The bottom portion of the lamella pictures a tabula ansata enclosing a pair of magical names. The text of the spell itself uses stereotypical formula, as found in spells in Greek magical papyri. The surface is heavily creased from once having been rolled up. It also has a single fold extending vertically down the center, suggesting that it was tightly folded and inserted into a case. It appears that the upper left corner was folded over or pinched back. There is a crack about half-way across the surface, and the right and bottom edges show damage. Translation from Greek after Kotansky 1983: "[Characters]. PSNEBENNOU(TH), PHNEBENNNYTH (similarly, PHNEBENNNOUTH). As rock with rock, as philosophers with philosophers, as water with waters. As these written things do not feel pain, so also may NN not…" In tabula ansata: "SABAOTH, IAOTH."

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