Inscriptions: Defixio with a Greek protective spell

Identification

Reference as:	MPL00794
Title	Defixio with a Greek protective spell
Trismegistos-No.	968478

Object

Provenance and Location

Find Place	Londinium
Find Context	Found on the site of the Roman Thames foreshore at Upper Thames Street
Latitude	0.0
Longitude	0.0
Current Location	London, British Museum
Inventory number
Current Location Details
Vicinity	[{"coords": [51.5133, -0.088949], "id": 794, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/794", "long_id": "MPL00794", "place": "Londinium", "text": "\u03b1\u03b2\u03c1\u03b1\u03b9 \u03b2[\u03b1]\u03c1\u03b2\u03b1\u03c3\u03c9 \u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03b2\u03b1\u03c3\u03c9\u03c7 \u03b2\u03b1\u03c1\u03b2\u03b1\u03c3\u03c9\u03b8 \u03b5\u03c5\u03bb\u03b9\u03c9\u03c1 \u03b1\u03b8\u03b5\u03bc\u03bf\u03c1\u03c6\u03b9 \u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/images/Brit.44.21-fig14a.png", "title": "Defixio with a Greek protective spell"}, {"coords": [51.3642, 0.196368], "id": 787, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/787", "long_id": "MPL00787", "place": "Lullingstone", "text": "Invida si t\u0323a\u0323[uri] vidisset Iuno natatusiustius A\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/images/RIB002448.6-photo-HistEng-full.jpg", "title": "Mosaic inscription from Lullingstone"}, {"coords": [52.559, -0.34821], "id": 785, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/785", "long_id": "MPL00785", "place": "Durobrivae", "text": "\u0391((chi-rho))\u03a9 Sanctum altare tuum D\u0391((chi-rho))\u03a9om\u2026", "thumbnail_url": "https://media.britishmuseum.org/media/Repository/Documents/2014_9/30_9/1e9a06ec_13b4_4f59_b5bc_a3b600a3d40a/mid_00190764_001.jpg", "title": "Votive inscription on a silver cup"}, {"coords": [50.7257, 1.61483], "id": 1968, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/1968", "long_id": "MPL01968", "place": "Bononia", "text": "Si\u0300c tibi, quae voti\u0300soptaveris, omniacedant, stud\u2026", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Inscription from Bononia - EDR176944"}, {"coords": [52.614, 0.886402], "id": 2067, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2067", "long_id": "MPL02067", "place": "Norfolk", "text": "[A]ma me", "thumbnail_url": "https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/images/RIB002421.1.jpg", "title": "Fibula with love dedication from Norfolk"}, {"coords": [50.5142, 1.63802], "id": 2095, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2095", "long_id": "MPL02095", "place": "\u00c9taples", "text": "Escipe si amas.", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Fibula with love dedication from \u00c9taples"}, {"coords": [50.5142, 1.63802], "id": 2122, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2122", "long_id": "MPL02122", "place": "\u00c9taples", "text": "Si amas ego plus.", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Fibula with love dedication from \u00c9taples"}, {"coords": [52.4036, -0.82357], "id": 2119, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2119", "long_id": "MPL02119", "place": "Orton", "text": "Si amas.", "thumbnail_url": "https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/images/Brit.50.28-fig23.jpeg", "title": "Fibula with love dedication from Orton"}, {"coords": [49.8956, 1.26493], "id": 2121, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2121", "long_id": "MPL02121", "place": "Envermeu", "text": "Si amas ego plus.", "thumbnail_url": null, "title": "Fibula with love dedication from Envermeu"}, {"coords": [51.2935, 1.33232], "id": 2123, "item_url": "https://db.mappola.eu/r/Inscriptions/show/2123", "long_id": "MPL02123", "place": "Rutupiae", "text": "Si a-mas ego p-lus.", "thumbnail_url": "https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/images/RIB002421.50.jpg", "title": "Fibula with love dedication from Rutupiae"}]

Object Details

Object Type	slab
Material	lead
State of Preservation	complete
Dimensions	width: 4.0 cm height: 13.0 cm depth: unknown
Letter Size in cm (min)	0.0
Letter Size in cm (max)	0.0
Execution Technique	embossed
Religion	Pagan

Decoration

Decoration and Iconography
Decoration Tags

Verse Layouts

Prose Verse Presence	Prose interrupted by verse
Prose Verse Distinction	No distinction
Layout Types (Prose)	Centered
Layout Types (Verse)	Centered
Scriptio Continua in verse part	yes
Abbreviations in verse part	no
Verse Line Correspondence	No

Text

Function	curse
Language(s)	Greek
Verse Type(s)	Dactylic hexameter
Rhythmisation	Mixed scheme

Inscription & Translations

Diplomatic Interpretative Verse Visualisation

ΑΒΡΑΙΒ[]ΡΒΑΣΩ
ΒΑΡΒΑΣΩΧΒΑΡΒΑΣΩΘΕΥΛΙΩΡ
ΑΘΕΜΟΡΦΙΛΑΒΡΟΥ
ΛΥΜΟΥΠΑΡΑΠΕΜ
5ΠΕΔΥΣΚΕΛΑΔΟΝ
ΡΥΖΗΜΑΔΙΗΡΙ
ΟΝΤΑΝΥΧΙΖΟΝΝΥΔΡΟΛΕΕΣΟ
ΔΥΜΗΣΔΙΑΜΗΧΟΜΑΙΜΟΝΒΑ
ΡΥΘΟΙΜΟΝΕΑΡΚΟ
10ΤΑΚΕΣΔΙΑΤΗΚΟΜΕ
ΝΟΝΦΛΕΒΙΩΝΑ
ΠΟΚΟΛΠΩΝΜΕ
ΓΑΣΙΑΩΜΕ
ΓΑΣΣΑΒΑΩΘ
15ΔΙΑΦΥΛΑΞΟΝΤΟΝ
ΦΟΡΟΥΝΤΑΦΟΙΒΕ
ΑΚΕΡΣΕΚΟΜΑΤΟ
ΞΟΤΑΛΟΙΜΟΥΝΕ
ΦΕΛΗΣΙΑΠΕΛΑΥ
20ΝΕΙΑΩΑΒΡΑΣ
ΑΞΘΕΕΒΟΗΘΕΙ
ΦΟΙΒΟΣΑΠΑΞΕ
ΚΕΛΕΥΣΕΝΒΡΟ
ΤΟΙΣΧΙΛΕΩΝΑ
25ΠΕΧΕΣΘΑΙΚΥΡΙ
ΘΕΕΤΗΡΗΣΟΝ
ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΝ

αβραι β[α]ρβασω
βαρβασωχ βαρβασωθ ευλιωρ
αθεμορφι λάβρου
λυμοῦ παράπεμ-
5πε δυσκέλαδον
ῥύζημα διήρι-
ον τανυχιζον νυδρολεες ὀ-
δύμης διαμηχόμαιμον βα-
ρύθοιμον εαρκο-
10τακές διατηκόμε-
νον φλεβίων ἀ-
πὸ κόλπων μέ-
γας Ιάω μέ-
γας Σαβαώθ
15διαφύλαξον τὸν
φοροῦντα Φοῖβε
ἀκερσεκόμα το-
ξότα λοιμοῦ νε-
φέλησι ἀπέλαυ-
20νε Ιάω Ἀβρασ-
ὰξ θεέ βοηθεῖ
Φοῖβος ἅπαξ ἐ-
κέλευσεν βρο-
τοῖς χιλεων ἀ-
25πέχεσθαι Κύρι
θεέ τηρῆσον
Δημήτριν.

αβραι β[α]ρβασω
βαρβασωχ βαρβασωθ ευλιωρ
αθεμορφι λάβρου
λυμοῦ παράπεμ-
5πε δυσκέλαδον
ῥύζημα διήρι-
ον τανυχιζον νυδρολεες ὀ-
δύμης διαμηχόμαιμον βα-
ρύθοιμον εαρκο-
10τακές διατηκόμε-
νον φλεβίων ἀ-
πὸ κόλπων μέ-
γας Ιάω μέ-
γας Σαβαώθ
15διαφύλαξον τὸν
φοροῦντα Φοῖβε
ἀκερσεκόμα το-
ξότα λοιμοῦ νε-
φέλησι ἀπέλαυ-
20νε Ιάω Ἀβρασ-
ὰξ θεέ βοηθεῖ

Φοῖβος ἅπαξ ἐ-
κέλευσεν βρο-
τοῖς χιλεων ἀ-
25πέχεσθαι | Κύρι
θεέ τηρῆσον
Δημήτριν.

Apparatus

Text follows RIB.

Main Translation

Translation	‘Abrai Barbasō Barbasōch Barbasōth. †euliōr (?) of divine form, send away the discordant clatter of raging plague, air-borne, †tanuchizon, †nudrolees, infiltrating pain, heavy-spiriting, flesh-wasting, melting, from the hollows of the veins. Great Iao, great Sabaoth, protect the bearer. Phoebus of the unshorn hair, archer, drive away the cloud of plague. Iao, God Abrasax, bring help. Lord Phoebus ordered mortals to refrain from †chileōn. Lord God, watch over Demetrios.’
Citation	Roman Inscriptions of Britain

Other Translations

Prosopographical Information

Further Information

Comment

Tomlin (2014) recognises the following hexameters: †ευλιωρ θε(ό)µορφε, λάβρου λοιµοῦ παράπεµπε δυϲκέλαδον ῥοίζηµα, διη(έ)ριον, †τανυχιζον †νυδρολεεϲ, ὀδύνη(ν) διανηχόµενον, βαρύθυµον, (ϲ)αρκοτακέϲ, διατηκόµενον, φλεβί(κ)ων ἀπὸ κόλπων. Φοῖβε ἀκερϲεκόµα, λοιµοῦ νεφέλη(ν) ἀπέλαυνε. τοξότα (Φοῖβε) … Φοῖβοϲ ἄ(ν)αξ ἐκέλευϲε βροτοῖϲ †χιλεων ἀπέχεϲθαι.

Squeeze

Have Squeeze?	no

Dating

Date (From)	131 AD
Date (To)	200 AD
Date (Criteria)	history archaeology

Bibliography

R.S.O. Tomlin, in: R. Collins - F. McIntosh, Life in the limes: Studies of the people and objects of the Roman frontiers presented to Lindsay Allason-Jones on the occasion of her birthday and retirement – AE 2014 🔗 link
Tomlin, R. S. O. “Drive away the cloud of plague:” Life in the Limes (2014): 197–205. 🔗 link
AE 2013, 00946
Tomlin, R.S.O, ‘III. Inscriptions’, Britannia, 44. 2013, pp. 381–396 – AE 2013 🔗 link
Jones, C.P, An amulet from London and events surrounding the Antonine Plague", in Journal of Roman Archaeology, 29, pp. 469–472. 🔗 link
AE 2014, 00788
HD079977 🔗 link
RIB 🔗 link

Images

Brit.44.21

Editing History

Created	2025-03-31, by Anna Pokorny
Work Status	Confirmed
Import Notice	Imported from Epigraphische Datenbank Heidelberg at 2024-04-18T11:46:51, ID there: HD079977

Revisions

by Unknown
at 2024-04-18 11:46
by Anna Pokorny
at 2024-07-18 11:24
by Anna Pokorny
at 2024-07-18 11:25
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-16 23:42
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-16 23:51
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-16 23:53
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-16 23:54
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-17 11:31
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-17 13:45
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-17 14:25
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-01-17 14:50
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-17 14:50
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-01-17 14:51
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-22 10:13
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-22 10:14
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-22 10:28
by Anna Pokorny
at 2025-01-22 10:29
by Chiara Cenati
at 2025-01-22 11:01

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