The Curse of Phila

When Macron died, Fila got the opportunity she was looking for. She already had the lead binding ready, she had written there what he sincerely desired, she had carefully and tightly rolled it up. Makron, who was now leaving for the Underworld, would convey her message, her plea, to the demons. Only they could help her now.

In Pella she was already isolated, abandoned by friends and acquaintances. Despised by everyone and especially by Dionysophon who was preparing to marry Thetima and they were already planning their wedding ceremony. She remembered her last meeting with him, in front of Thetima who seemed to her to be smiling wryly. He had told her “even if Thetima didn’t exist, I would rather marry any other woman, but never you”.

 

Fila carefully placed the scroll next to Macron’s right hand, to be the first thing she would give once she got down there, and led him away.

The note or katadesmos read:
“From Thetima and Dionysophon the ceremony and the marriage I bind with a written curse and of all other women, whether they are widows or virgins, but especially of Thetima. And I deliver this binding to Macron and the demons. And only when I dig up and unroll and read these words again, then only let Dionysophontus marry. Before that let him take no other wife than me. Only I may grow old by Dionysophontus’ side, no other. I beseech you, dear demons, show pity to Phila for she has forsaken me all my loved ones and I am desolate. But keep the bond for my sake, so that this may not happen, and the evil Thetima evil perish…. and I may find bliss and bliss.”

Inscribed lead sheet rolled up (binding)
4th century BC

Maximum extant height 28.4 cm, maximum extant width 5.7 cm.
New Archaeological Museum of Pella

In 1986, in a grave of the Eastern cemetery of Pella, next to the right hand of the deceased, a lead binding was found wrapped with the above message written on it. Maybe things didn’t happen exactly as I told them, but certainly the binding was put there by a woman deeply in love with Dionysophon who was preparing to marry Thetima. Epigraphologists are divided about her name, she would be called Phila or Dagina. I prefer Fila. After all, it was a common Macedonian name.
This specific binding is a very important archaeological find, but not for its content. Almost no one is interested in Phila’s unrequited love. After all, many such spells have been known since ancient times. The binding of Pella is particularly important because it dates back to the 4th century. e.g. and is written in a Greek dialect very close to the northwestern variant of Doric. It is therefore one of the earliest written testimonies that prove that already in the 4th c. e.g. the population of Macedonia was Greek speaking.
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