Rare Roman curse tablets discovered in the Cotswolds are set to give visitors from Stroud and across Gloucestershire an unusually direct glimpse into the anger, beliefs and everyday disputes of people living in Roman Britain almost 2,000 years ago.
The ancient lead objects will go on public display at Cirencester’s Corinium Museum for the first time during the Cirencester History Festival at the end of October. They include a tablet appealing to the god Mercury over the alleged theft of a cloak and hood.
The tablets have been loaned to the museum for five years by the Research I Library in the United States. That loan means visitors will be able to see ritual objects that were used by Romans who believed supernatural forces could intervene against people who had wronged them.
How the Roman curses worked
Curse tablets were made from thin sheets of lead. Messages were scratched into the metal before the tablets were folded or rolled and hidden in places thought to have spiritual significance, including graves, the ground, wells, springs and other sacred locations.
The belief was that a curse would remain active while the tablet stayed concealed. The small, folded objects can be difficult to read, but research by Oxford University professor Roger Tomlin has helped reveal what some of them say.
At least one of the tablets refers to Mercury Aruerius, a deity widely worshipped in and around Roman Corinium, the settlement that stood where Cirencester is now located. The message concerns a stolen cloak and hood and asks the god to prevent the alleged thief from standing, sitting, eating or drinking until the dispute is resolved.
“To the god Mercury Aruerius (from) [name lost]. I complain to you. Lord concerning my property, a cloak [and hood] Whoever stole this, whether slave or free, whoever stole this, the god is not to let them stand or sit, or drink or eat, unless they…you…with [their own blood.”
The translation is attributed to Professor Tomlin. The missing name and incomplete ending reflect the difficulty of interpreting the surviving inscription.
First examples for the museum’s collection
Emma Stuart, director of Corinium Museum, said the objects are the first examples of this type of Roman ritual artefact to enter the museum’s collection.
“Unlike the Roman Baths, we didn’t have any examples of curse tablets in our collection until the generous offer of a loan was extended by Research I Library,”
She added:
“The Roman people scratching Latin into these tablets must have been educated even to a basic standard and, if nothing else, these objects are a wonderful example of Roman revenge.”
The tablets have recently been conserved and stabilised by the Conservation and Museums Advisory Service. Its team used raking light to make the lettering more visible in photographs, helping researchers examine the inscriptions.
Festival appearance followed by 2027 display
After their brief appearance at the History Festival, the museum plans to prepare a special mount for the tablets. They will then be placed in the main Roman gallery, with a formal launch for the new display and the rare artefacts planned for 2027.
There is also an opportunity for younger visitors to explore the ancient tradition at a children’s Halloween workshop on October 30 at 10.30am. Participants will be able to make their own curse tablet, with tickets available through the Cirencester History Festival website.
Corinium Museum is open daily from 10am to 4pm. The display is in Cirencester rather than Stroud, but its subject offers a close look at the Roman history of the wider Cotswolds and the settlement that developed into one of the area’s best-known historic towns.
