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The Uley Tablets: Roman Curse Tablets from the Temple of Mercury at Uley

Name: The Uley Tablets: Roman Curse Tablets from the Temple of Mercury at Uley
Brand: Oxford University Press
SKU: 9780192888624
Price: 219.99 USD
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Contributors:

Roger S. O. Tomlin

Publisher:

Oxford University Press

Binding:

Hardcover

Book Category:

History, Religion, Literary Collections

Book Subcategory:

Ancient, Ancient, Classical & Medieval

Series:

Oxford Studies in Ancient Documents

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The product is eligible for a complimentary return within 30 days from the date of purchase. Furthermore, individual items are shipped within 24 hours of receiving the order.

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Release Date:

12/26/24

ISBN 13:

9780192888624

Weight:

3.11 lbs

Size:

11.81 x 8.54 x 1.10 inches

Pages:

400

Mint Condition +

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Description

The Uley Tablets is the first full publication of the eighty Roman lead writing-tablets found in the excavation of a Romano-British temple in the Cotswolds, the temple of the god Mercury at Uley, Gloucestershire, together with two from the nearby site of Tarlton. Like those found in the hot spring at Bath, they are 'curse tablets', so called because they seek divine intervention against the writer's enemies, who are mostly thieves unknown. They complain of farm animals being stolen or bewitched, even a stolen beehive (the first document of bee-keeping in Britain), the theft of clothing such as gloves, cloaks and gaiters, woman's underwear, the theft of rings and sums of money ranging from two 'mites' to a hundred thousand denarii. In formalised language they ask the god to recover their property and punish the thieves with ill health or the 'greatest death'.

These tablets are the richest collection of manuscripts from the countryside of Roman Britain, unique as a written witness to the social and economic history of the province since they were not found in the usual urban or military context. They are a major new source for studying the language, whether written or spoken, of the civil population. The Uley Tablets provide a practical lesson in how to decipher Roman handwriting, and in this volume, they are transcribed and translated with detailed commentary, each inscribed face illustrated with a photograph and line-drawing. These texts are preceded by eleven introductory chapters which outline their context and content, the way in which the god was approached, the language and handwriting employed, and the implications for the study of literacy in Roman Britain. The Uley Tablets offer a vivid contribution to ancient history with a disturbing modern echo.

About the Author
Roger S. O. Tomlin

Roger S. O. Tomlin studied at Oxford where he was awarded a DPhil for his work on the Emperor Valentinian I (364-375). He taught Roman History at Cornell University, the University of Kent at Canterbury, and Durham University, before returning to Wolfson College, Oxford as University Lecturer in Late-Roman History. He retired in 2010, but has continued to be Editor of the Roman Inscriptions of Britain.

The Uley Tablets: Roman Curse Tablets from the Temple of Mercury at Uley

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