What one can discern by this evidence is that curses were highly formulaic and that even the curse-tablets were probably accompanied by oral prayers, incantations and invocations, thus they were rooted into the oral tradition. They were also caught into a complex intertextual web (epic discourse, prayer, iambus) when they were incorporated into archaic Greek literature. On the other hand, the practicing of cursing (either in poetry or in real-life) seems to be common even during the archaic age, especially when it concerned the matters of the heart. It will not be surprising, if Sappho’s work was, to some extent, affiliated with curses. In this part of this article I will examine Sappho’s poetry having this assumption in mind.
The practice …show more content…
It is also probable that Sappho could have used, or could have been influenced, by the discourse of incantations in many of her compositions. Nevertheless, it is not certain whether or not there was an occasion, even a completely constructed literary occasion, for the performance of this kind of …show more content…
As I mentioned above, the most common motive was love. It is even disturbing for a modern reader of ancient Greek curse-tablets that we encounter the presence of a ‘venomous and malicious feeling’ in many of the erotic magical rites. The practitioners of love-curses in ancient Greece wish many times to inflict pain, discomfort, annoyance, and profound inner turmoil in their beloved’s body and soul. In ancient Greek literature most of the agents were female and most of the literary spells and incantations are driven by love or lust (Iliad 14, Circe in the Odyssey, Jason in Pindar’s Pythian 4, Deianeira in the Trachiniai, Medea in the Argonautica, women in Sophron’s mimes). Betrayal by a loved one is an additional trigger (for example in the Stasburg epode or in Alcaeus and Theognis). The occasion for a literary curse calls only for a victim and an agent. The agent in Sappho’s compositions, since we are dealing with literary compositions influenced by curses, should more likely be female. The possible motive behind the practice of such ‘magic’ should be love or any other kind of dispute. The ‘witch’ can be depicted as possessing grace, youth and beauty, as Sappho and the members of her circle are usually depicted in her poetry. But did Sappho had rivals in ‘‘business’’ or in love in order to target in a literary
The practice …show more content…
It is also probable that Sappho could have used, or could have been influenced, by the discourse of incantations in many of her compositions. Nevertheless, it is not certain whether or not there was an occasion, even a completely constructed literary occasion, for the performance of this kind of …show more content…
As I mentioned above, the most common motive was love. It is even disturbing for a modern reader of ancient Greek curse-tablets that we encounter the presence of a ‘venomous and malicious feeling’ in many of the erotic magical rites. The practitioners of love-curses in ancient Greece wish many times to inflict pain, discomfort, annoyance, and profound inner turmoil in their beloved’s body and soul. In ancient Greek literature most of the agents were female and most of the literary spells and incantations are driven by love or lust (Iliad 14, Circe in the Odyssey, Jason in Pindar’s Pythian 4, Deianeira in the Trachiniai, Medea in the Argonautica, women in Sophron’s mimes). Betrayal by a loved one is an additional trigger (for example in the Stasburg epode or in Alcaeus and Theognis). The occasion for a literary curse calls only for a victim and an agent. The agent in Sappho’s compositions, since we are dealing with literary compositions influenced by curses, should more likely be female. The possible motive behind the practice of such ‘magic’ should be love or any other kind of dispute. The ‘witch’ can be depicted as possessing grace, youth and beauty, as Sappho and the members of her circle are usually depicted in her poetry. But did Sappho had rivals in ‘‘business’’ or in love in order to target in a literary