Healing, Protecting, and Conquering. The Talismans of Alexander the Great and Apollonius of Tyana.

18 Pages·2016·13.86 MB·English

by  Lucia Raggetti

First International Conference
AMULETS AND TALISMANSINTHE MUSLIM WORLD
Leiden, 19-20 May2016
HEALING, PROTECTING, AND CONQUERING.
THE TALISMANS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT
AND APOLLONIUS OF TYANA
Lucia Raggetti (FU Berlin)
MS BerlinWeII 1209, f. 33r (detail)
APOLLONIUS OF TYANA — THE GREAT BOOK OF TALISMANS
βίβλος σοφίας καί συνέσεως ἀποτελεσµάτων Ἀπολλωνίου τοῦ Τυανέως ὃς ἔγραψε καί ἐδίδαξε
Σούστουµον Θάλασσον τόν αὐτοῦ µαθητήν
(‘Book of the Knowledge and Understaing of the Apotelesmataof Apollonius of Tyana, that he has composed
and taught to his own disciple Sustumon Thalasson’)
F. Nau, Patrologia SyriacaII, 1363-92 (1907) F. Boll, CCAGVII, 175-181 (1908)
JOHANNES MALALAS (6th cent.) — Chronographia
Duringthe reign of the Emperor Domitianus
lived the most wise Apolloniusof Tyana,
who wandered aroundin all regions and
cities, and made Telesmataeverywere he
went. Then he went to Byzantium, and made
talismans also in other cities.
He came from Tyana in Syria, and went to
the great Antioch, where he was asked by the
first citizens to make differentTelesmata
there as well, against the thingsthat were
bothering the city.
He made one against the North wind, that he placed at the Eastern gate of the city. Therehe made another Telesma
against the scorpions, that would have chased themaway from the region. After he had moulded a copper
scorpion, he had it buried in the middle of the city, and a small column was placed on that spot. Once he had done
this, the scorpionsdisappeared, and did notinfested the town or the neighbouring areas ever again. Then the
citizens of Antioch asked himone against an infestation of mosquitos, he obliged, and never again a mosquito was
seen there.
(Lib. X Migne, PG XCVII, 400-404)
KITĀB AL-ṬALĀSIM AL-AKBAR
MS BerlinPet. I 66, f. 41v
MS BerlinPet. I 66, f. 44v (detail)
MS BNF Par. Ar. 2250, f. 84r
discussion of ancientastrological
(frontispiece, detail) books and theirauthors)
GREEK AND ARABIC INTRODUCTION(S)
- Thisconsists of four books thatI wrote — more - Thisisa noble science with which I haveobtainedthe favour
preciousthangold and gems: one one astronomy, of the kings and the mightyones, with which I haveobtained
anotheron astrology, the thirdon rhetorics whatI wanted, and it isa gift from God the Mighty the
(σχολαστική), and the fourth —the most preciousof Sublime. It was saidto me in thisway: ‘Oh Apollonius, receive
themall—in which thereare great and fearfulsigns, this gift thatnobody haseverreceived before, because God
wondersand mysteriesof power; in other words, about the Highest is pleased to teach you all the secrets’.
the enchantmentof allthe creaturescreatedand - (MS BNF Par. Ar. 2250 (ff. 84v-85r)
movedby God.
- You should know, my son, thatskies and earthstand on this
- If someone, approachingthisbook, wantsto be talisman, and it wassaid to me in a dream: ‘Oh Apollonius,
successful in thesewonder, he hasto abstainfrom any nobody else haseverreceivedthisscience. So fearGod the
bad action, aswellasfrom the conversation and the Highest, and do rightly in this.’ And I said in my sleep: ‘And
intercourse with women. which are the right thingsto do?’ He said: ‘Fast, prayer,
compassion, chastity, sincerity, and good opinion, in the
- And indeedthe One who will be born in Bethlehem name of God, the Mighty the Sublime’
from a virginwill be a great master, he willsave (MS BNF Par. Ar. 2250 (ff. 97r))
humankindand destroythe templesof the idols; but he
willnot destroy the art of the Apolesmata thatI willdo,
since I have alreadyaccomplished everything thathis
power will do, and I have produced enchantments
(ἀπετέλεσα καὶ ἐστοιχείωσα).
- Patrologia Syriaca II, 1372-74
THE CITIES AND THE TALISMANS
🐛 Byzantium (Madīnat al-Rūmiyya)
🐝
Edessa (al-Ruhāʾ)
🔥 🏊 Antioch (Anṭākiyā)
🐧
🏊 🦂 🐦 🌊 🐀 Persia (Arḍ Fāris)
Emesa (Ḥims)
🦂
🏊 Tyros (Ṣūr)
Alexandria (Iskandariyya)
👁
Nubia (Bilād al-Nūba)
🐧
The Roman Empire and itsEasternborders at the end of the first centuryAD.
I. THE MAGIC MIRROR (MS BNF Par. Ar. 2250, ff. 115v-117r)
When you want this, take copper, iron, lead, black lead,
qarṭūlas—thatiscrushed glass— mouldeverything, and
makea single mirror out of them. Thenpolish it verywell.
When you want to look up intothe air, in the directionof
the placethatit isnot necessary to mention, thenlook
intothe middle of the mirror, after thatyou havetraced
in itsmiddle oneof the four lettersthatcover the four
corners of the world.
I havealreadymade thismirror in Alexandria.
Thisisthe representationof the magicalsigns of the
mirror.
MS BNF Par. Ar. 2250, f. 117r (detail) Magic signson the mirror)
Thisisa Syrian talisman, but in thiscopy it ispresented
in Arabic.
I. PALEOGRAPHICALLY MAGIC
MS BNF Par. Ar. 2250, f. 124r (detail)
MS BerlinWe II 1209, f. 31r (details)
Fībaʿḍ al-nusaḫ aḏihīal-ṣūra
II. SCORPIONS IN EMESA (MS BNF Par. Ar. ff. 122v-123v)
Talisman to banish the scorpions, that I made for the city of
Emesa.
If you do not want to see a scorpion in your country
anymore, make a scorpion of mineral red copper.
Together with the name of the Angel thatgoverns this hour
—that isthe hour in which you want to shapethe figure and
make the engravings.
Then buryit wherever you want, and scorpions will never be
seen again after this talisman.
III. THE RIVER IN ANTIOCH (MS BNF Par. Ar. ff. 102v-103v)
I made them leave the city, going in the direction of the West for a few miles; they erected a
building there, and duga canal.
Then they went to the footof the mountain, and erected a building for the water, they duginside it,
and made a small pondoutside.
When they completed all this, they admired it. Then I made a statue of mineral red copper, took
fourclean reeds, placed them on the shoulderof this, statue, and I mentioned the powerfulnames,
and then I saw the earth from underneath the mountain, that opened up untilI could see
everything that was on it.
Millin Antioch?
Then I invoked these powerfulnames in the direction of the East and everything that is contained
in it.
Then I wrote on the reed that governed the wind of the West.
I have broughtwater to the land of Antioch with great canals, and they (the inhabitants) built mills
for them inside the city.