Disir
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A Greek inhabitant of the Roman city of Londinium in the late 160s, named Demetrios, lived through the Antonine plague — or at least part of the plague — which he tried to ward off by wearing a scroll with a Greek prayer in the form of rhyming hexameters.
This was the same style of writing used in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
Incredibly, his amulet, containing the inscribed lead sheet rolled up inside it, was discovered 2,000 years later on the banks of the Thames. Now safely ensconced in a place of honor in the Museum of London, which houses many such treasures found in the city, it tells a story of desperation with which we can easily identify today.
This written plea for protection from the “raging” plague, which he said caused “flesh-wasting, melting, infiltrating pain,” was addressed to the Greek deities Iao, Sabbath and Abrasax.
In the heart-rending text, the Greek man begs the deities to “watch over Demetrios.”
The plague of those days, which may have actually been a virus, lasted for approximately one decade, from the 160s to the 170s. Sadly, it most likely will never be known exactly how Demetrios’ amulet found its way to the banks of the Thames.
That's kind of cool.
This was the same style of writing used in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.
Incredibly, his amulet, containing the inscribed lead sheet rolled up inside it, was discovered 2,000 years later on the banks of the Thames. Now safely ensconced in a place of honor in the Museum of London, which houses many such treasures found in the city, it tells a story of desperation with which we can easily identify today.
This written plea for protection from the “raging” plague, which he said caused “flesh-wasting, melting, infiltrating pain,” was addressed to the Greek deities Iao, Sabbath and Abrasax.
In the heart-rending text, the Greek man begs the deities to “watch over Demetrios.”
The plague of those days, which may have actually been a virus, lasted for approximately one decade, from the 160s to the 170s. Sadly, it most likely will never be known exactly how Demetrios’ amulet found its way to the banks of the Thames.
Greek Immigrant in Roman-Era London Used Amulet to Ward Off Plague
Although most of us may feel a bit sorry for ourselves in 2020, having to deal with lockdowns and other strict measures to combat the coronavirus, we are are truly not alone in this experience. Millions of people who lived before us dealt with plagues which killed vast swaths of the population...
greece.greekreporter.com
That's kind of cool.