CURSES, CRIME DETECTION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AT THE FESTIVAL OF DEMETER THESMOPHOROS CHRISTOPHER A. FARAONE

CURSES, CRIME DETECTION AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION AT THE FESTIVAL OF DEMETER THESMOPHOROS

CHRISTOPHER A. FARAONE, he Journal of Hellenic Studies

Vol. 131 (2011), pp. 25-44

At the heart of the Thesmophoria festival lies the story of Persephone and the promise of agricultural fertility, but scholars point out that more seems to be at stake, suggesting that the scene of women 'camping out' in the sanctuary under the control of the female archons recalls a primitive time when women, perhaps, ruled the city or that the festival creates a place where women are at least beyond the control of men. There are hints, moreover, that during the Thesmophoria women were also actively involved in some kind of juridical activity, especially on the second day of the festival, when they fasted in imitation of Demeter's grief over the abduction of Persephone and the injustice perpetrated against her. Indeed, the epithet Thesmophoros was understood already in ancient times to have some connection with human law. This paper argues that on the second day of the festival women engaged in some kind of impromptu juridical procedure aimed at solving crimes and punishing anonymous wrongdoers and it uses as evidence Aristophanes' Thesmophoriazusae and a series of curse inscriptions deposited in late Hellenistic times at the Sanctuary of Demeter at Cnidus, as well as a few single examples from Locri, Amorgos and elsewhere.

p 25 thwrre were temples all over Athens, the largest was att he Agora on the Acropolis, to Demeter

the women sleot out on mats, conrolled by the female archons, archousai

on the second day a team of special women climbed down the pit into the megaron and scooped out the roting piglets from the previous sacrifice and put seed corn with the mixture, to promote the abundance of the harvest.

p 26 some suggest that this harks back to a time when women ruled

and ther was a judicial process

p 27 the 13 curse tablets of Cnidus found int he temple of Demeter- look at judicial and punishment of theft and slander and they appealed to Demeter and Kore to punish with fever there is an iplied audience of women who provide information about unsolved crimes, and punish the worngdoer both male and female

p 28  I am dedicating to Demeter and Kore  the person who slandered me  that I am preparing posions ( or magic spells) against my husband.May he go up to Demeter with all his family confessing out loud because he is burnt ( with fever).And may he not find Demeter and Kore merciful or the gods with Demeter

p 29

Artemis is consecrating to Demeter and Kore, to all the gods with Demeter, whomever did not return the cloaks, the clothes and the short frock that I left behind, although I asked for them back.  May he personally carry them up to Demeter an if anyone else has my things, burnt and confessing loudly to Demeter.\

p34Th Demeter and Kore and the gods besides Demeter and Kore, Nanas is consecrating those who received  a deposit from Diokles and are not giving it back, but rather they deprive him of it. If they give it back may things be lawful for them but if they do not, unlawful and may they carry the deposit up to Demeter and Kore

p 35 events at the Demeter Thesmophoria were extramural, a distance from the  the city

p 38 Lady Demeter Queen, as your supplicant, as your slave i fall at your feet. He has taken away my slaves, has led them into evil ways, has indoctrinated them, advised them misled them he has rejoiced,  he has them wandering around the marketplace, her persuaded them to run awy.