Curse Tablets are a very serious offense. Let's be honest anytime you wish someone would die you obviously are a little crazy. Crazy enough to then write it down and show people. If someone were to do that today it would be a serious offense. However back in the time of the Romans it was not a serious offense. It was much more common and accepted. People would curse events and other citizens. They would inscribe different curses on a tablet with a plea to gods that would help their dream come true.
Curse Tablets were made of lead and would then be inscribed with a saying. You can the attempt my group made to replicate this delicate process. My group chose to stay away with cursing an individual we cursed our midterms with bad weather. Take a look.
Unlike other Latin literature which was mostly written by groups curse tablets are written by slaves, women voices anything you name it. No matter where you were in the social ladder you could create a curse tablet. Most of the curse tablets that have been found have been found throughout England in cities like Bath and London. You can read about a recently found Curse Tablet
HERE. They are very interesting pieces of history considering how many people actually made them. You have to take into account how many people actually wanted others to be physically harmed and the aggressors would even go to the extreme limits to achieve their goal.
We don't see Curse Tablets today. For the most part people wont go around appealing to the gods that another person would get hurt. Maybe today the closest we get in my opinion is libel although its not a physical offense it publicly attacks someone.
For more on curse tablets look
HERE
"Curse Tablet." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015.
"Curse Tablets from Roman Britain: Cursing for Beginners." Curse Tablets from Roman Britain: Cursing for Beginners. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015.
"Roman "Curse Tablet" Discovered in England." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2015.
I liked the use of the link. This post was very fun to read. good use of the pictures and lots of good information.
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