Women and the Magic of Silence in Roman Gaul

Silencing of women was the norm during Roman times as voice was a marker of male superiority. But in the Roman Empire, the framework of speech underwent a change. Gossip could result in false allegations and lead to trial. Female silence may have served women well as a skill. Before the trial or to avoid it, litigants asked the specialists of silence to cut out dangerous tongues. Who were these experts? A source from Gaul, the so-called Plomb du Larzac which is a lead curse tablet dated to 100 AD, describes a conflict between witches in a judicial context. The interpretation of the text is difficult since it is written in Gaulish. Comparing the Plomb du Larzac text with Ovid’s Metamorphoses, I propose that there was a female-gendered expertise in the magic of silence.

Members of the Cluster are invited to the reserved AWRC lunch table in Hall starting at 12.30 to meet Soazick. Soazick’s talk in the Florey Room at 1:15 will be catered with cake and tea/coffee (all welcome).