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The Phoceans ghosts

by Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti

Phoceans ghosts

Herodotos tells us the story of what happened when, near Agylles, the Carthaginesians and the Tyrrhenians stoned the Phoceans. After this nobody had a single moment of peace, and this lasted until the people of this area didn’t do something to appease their souls. In fact every time that a man or an animal passed through the place where their enemies had stoned the Phoceans, the ghosts maimed or warped them. Little by little the country was filled by blind and crippled men and the situation menaced to deteriorate. Thus both the Cartaginesians and the Tyrrhenians that this crime had perpetrated, met to deliberate what they had to do and, as always, they decided to send an embassy to Delphi. The long journey to Apollon’s sanctuary was done and the request to be told what they had to do to put an end to the phantoms’ vengeance was pressed on the Pytia. Then as usual the oracle was stated and with it the god ordered them to organize a solemn ceremony in the honor of the dead men and to match it with the kind of important games that normally were done in the course of those rituals. And so it was done and apparently the Phoceans ghosts found it satisfactory because the persecutions ceased. Even more satisfied were the local residents that thanks to the poor stoned men and to their anger were now enjoying free of charge all the amusements and the shows of this splendid feast.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
ENZO NARDI, Case “infestate da spiriti” e diritto romano e moderno, Milano 1960, p. 79, nota 10
F. CUMONT, After life in Roman Paganism , New Haven 1922, pp. 62 e 67 e sgg.
F. DE COULANGES, La ville antique (i numeri delle pagine date dal Nardi si riferiscono alla traduzione italiana e sono: 6 e sg, 16 nota1).
ERODOTO, 1.1.167.