Pella Curse Tablet Courses

The Pella Curse Tablet is an ancient artifact found in Macedonia in 1986 during the excavation of an ancient Greek cemetery. It is believed to date back to the 5th or 6th century BCE and is one of the earliest surviving examples of a curse tablet. The tablet measures 7.5 by 11.5 cm and is made of bronze. The text on the tablet is written in Ancient Greek and curses someone named Kleomon. The tablet curses him to have ill-luck, misfortune, and a painful death. The purpose of the Pella Curse Tablet was to put a curse on Kleomon, a rival of the tablet’s creator. It was intended to be used as a form of magical revenge, likely as a way to gain an edge over a rival in business or politics. It is believed that the curse tablet may have been tossed into a spring as part of a ritual to make the curse effective. The significance of the Pella Curse Tablet lies in its rarity. Very few curse tablets from this era have survived the passing of time and the Pella Curse is a key example of the utilization of magical curses in ancient Greece. It provides valuable insight into the beliefs and practices of ancient Greeks and can be used as a window into their magical rite. The Pella Curse Tablet is now housed in the Archaeological Museum of Pella, Macedonia and is available to view on request.