Cursed Tablets

Cursed tablets were used in the Roman Times to curse something they disliked. In their age they would usually curse someone they didn't like. They usually not only cursed the person but went into excruciating detail as to what they wanted to happen to them. Nowadays openly cursing someone is less common. Yes, sometimes people will passively curse someone, but they never pray to Gods death or illness upon them. These "spells" that they cast they believe will make the Gods favor them and curse their enemy.

 Curses were usually inscribed with a stylus on lead tablets, although other materials, including wooden writing tablets, papyri and stone, could also bear them. He is a cursed tablet made of stone.

On it is engraved the curse that they wish to send to the Gods. Lead is the preferable way of writing on it because it originates from Greece where they used it to write documents on. Some tablets were cut from lead sheets that were hammered or cast very thin and trimmed with a knife to produce a flat even rectangular tablet. This is a very common type.

Example of lead cursed tablet

Britain tablets have also been found in the shape of human figures or, in one instance, of racehorses, representing the targets of the curse. This is not common anywhere else except for in Britain, most simply use the lead with carvings in it.
Writing the Curses:
Some cursed tablets only had the name of it. They stated the name and that was it. Most tablets however went into extreme description and perfectly listed what they wanted to happen to the person who they wished to curse. The victim of these curses could complain to authority or ask the God to have mercy on them.
Cursed tablets were helpful and hurtful to people in the Roman Times. To some people it was a good way to let out the anger they had towards a person without violence but to the victim it was nothing but hurtful. Cursed Tablets were also a good way to let off steam about an event or on going issues In today's day and age, people may write cursed tablets about a presidential elections, a school issue, or still, someone they don't like. This is an example of something people may write today. Here we are curing midterms and wishing that storms come and roads close.

Works Cited
"Aquae Sulis." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2014.

Bradley, Colleen M. Romano-British Curse Tablets: The Religious and Spiritual Romanization of Ancient Britain. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

"Curse Tablet." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2014.

Gager, John G. Curse Tablets and Binding Spells from the Ancient World. New York: Oxford UP, 1992. Print.