The use of 'magnetic stones' is well-attested in ancient magic, and there have been claims that the design of this piece may be linked to certain spells in the Greek Magical Papyri, such as Ogden's claim (2009: 262, 'Magic, Witchcraft and Ghosts in the Greek and Roman Worlds)...
... that this piece may be connected with PGM IV.1716-1870, or the so-called 'Sword of Dardanos' spell. This is primarily informed by the sexual position adopted by the couple, as the spell specifies engraving "Aphrodite sitting astride Psyche".
The inscription on the gem also utilises the word ψυχή, which may be interpreted as 'soul', making the inscription read as "Reciprocated love of my soul". But the word can also have a purely sexual sense (see Betz' edition of the PGM: 1996, 69 n.218).
For a very detailed - and well illustrated - piece on the connection between ancient magic and amulets, see the article reference in the next tweet:
Vitellozzi, Paolo. “Relations Between Magical Texts and Magical Gems: Recent Perspectives.” Bild Und Schrift Auf 'Magischen' Artefakten, edited by Sarah Kiyanrad et al., 1st ed., De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston, 2018, pp. 181–254.
jstor.org/stable/j.ctvbk…
#AAOTD #Magic
jstor.org/stable/j.ctvbk…
#AAOTD #Magic
