Germanus, and some are British including the name Cunovendus. The name
‘Maglus’for this god could translate as‘Great One’or‘Prince’.
Other curse tablets have been found in the waters of Aquae Sulis (Bath) at
the Temple of Sulis Minerva. Lavernisca had her cape stolen, and Cantissena’s
bathing tunic went missing. More seriously, someone has had a slave, Vilbia,
stolen. This curse tablet asks the goddess to ensure that the thief should
‘become as liquid as water’, and also includes a list of names, both male and
female. Cloaks were certainly a muchstolen item, presumably as they were
left in the outer cloakroom of the baths or shrines, and other stolen items
include a rug, and silver coins.
We have the text of a curse written by one aggrieved cloakless person, who
possibly found himself having to walk home in the chilly British weather
without his warm coat:
‘Docilianus...to the most holy goddess Sulis. I curse him who has stolen my
hooded cloak, whether man or woman, whether slave or free, that...the goddess
Sulis inflict death upon...and not allow him to sleep or children now and in the
future, until he has brought my hooded cloak to the temple of her divinity.’
Such hooded cloaks could be expensive items. Thebirrus britannicuswas a
long semicircular hooded garment, made of oiled wool, that kept the rain off.
CLASSICAL CRIMESFigure 12. A Roman lead curse tablet (Source: MarieLan Nguyen
Creative Commons)