A Magic Λόγος (for Gout?)

Abstract

In 1923 Comparetti (1923: 207) reported the discovery of a small golden tablet in the area of Pietà in the neighborhood of the Bastione S. Giacomo at Brindisi: during building operations, the scattered remains of a grave apparently dating to the 5th or 4th century B.C. were removed from context for further study. Later at the same site workers found a gold leaf crumpled up in the ground. It was taken for granted that the lamella had come from the grave of the excavation previously conducted, though this is clearly impossible since the script is of late Roman date. Comparetti recognized the inscription as Greek, but identified it as part of the gilded ornament from the hilt of the sword of the deceased (of the ‘classical’ gravesite). Others subsequently attempted in vain to unravel the tablet’s inscription and even ventured to identify the language as Mes-sapian, Ausonian, Sicel, or any number of pre-Italian dialects (Zuntz 1971: 283).