Hekate-Selene-Artemis and Related Deities in the Greek Magical Papyri and Curse Tablets

invoked as Necessity 7 original: Ananke, Artemis8, Aphrodite9, Baubo10, Brimo11, Damno, Damnomeneia, Damasandra, Damnodamia12, Justice 13 original: Dike, Darkness 14 original: Erebos, Fury 15 original: Erinys, Hecate16, Hermes-Hecate17, Fate 18 original: Moira, Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos 19 The three Moirai or Fates who spin, measure, and cut the thread of life, Night 20 original: Nyx, Persephone21, Megaera and Alecto 22 Two of the Furies, Fortune 23 original: Tyche, Nature 24 original: Physis, and finally as Chaos25.

As one can see, this syncretism|The blending of different beliefs and various identification of deities into one goes beyond the identification of Selene-Artemis-Hecate that had already become established since the end of the 5th century BCE; however, it also finds its parallels in the literature of the Hellenistic-Roman period. Nevertheless, the identification of Selene-Artemis-Hecate still predominates in our papyri. This is shown by a careful examination of the epithets bestowed upon "Selene" here; there are no fewer than 263. Of these, however, the following 23 are to be excluded, as they—especially for the late period of our papyri—express nothing that could specifically characterize the goddesses designated by these epithets: the Holy One original Greek: ἁγία (hagia) (A 283. B 551); the Ever-living original Greek: αἰζωός (aizoos)26; the Eternal original Greek: αἰωνία (aionia) (B 563); the Immortal original Greek: ἄμβροτος (ambrotos) (A 270); Queen or Mistress original Greek: ἄνασσα (anassa) (A 281. 355; B 567, 616)27; the Imperishable original Greek: ἄφθιτος (aphthitos) (A 284); the Queen original Greek: βασίλεια (basileia) (E 791)28; the Mistress original Greek: δέσποινα (despoina) (E 786)29, also Mistress original Greek: δέσποτις (despotis) (G 891); the Most Holy meaning "thoroughly divine" original Greek: ζάθεος (zatheos) and the Goddess original Greek: θεά (thea) (B 561, 575, 591, 620; C 643; D 746. 782; E 850); the Ruler original Greek: κοίρανος (koiranos) (B 600); the Maiden or Virgin original Greek: κούρη (koure) and κόρη (kore) (D 719, 746)30; the Mighty or Strong original Greek: κραταιά (krataia) and κρατερή (kratere) (F 789; H 614); the Illustrious original Greek: κυδρή (kydre) (A 281); the Lady original Greek: κυρία (kyria) (B 499, 501)31; the Blessed One original Greek: μάκαιρα (makaira) (A 248)32; the Powerfully Strong original Greek: μεγαλοδύναμος (megalodynamos) (G 881); the Greatest original Greek: μεγίστη (megiste) (D 721); the Far-famed original Greek: πολυκλείτη (polykleite) (A 268/69); the Many-named original Greek: πολυώνυμος (polyonymos) [text continues]

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26 The Papyrus has αἰζέου (aizeou), where έου (-eou) is corrected from ζω (-zo), so that perhaps a magic word from the Pistis Sophia 271 (Schmidt) ηζηω (ezeo), compare Θοζηω (Thozeo) and ηζηω (ezeo) in that same passage, is present.

27 This is what, for example, Persephone (Orphic Hymns XXIX 13) and Aphrodite (ibid. LV 24) are called.

28 In the? [original: β.] Selene (Orphic Hymns IX 1), Artemis (ibid. XXXVI 1), Aphrodite (ibid. LV 16).

29 This is the name for Hecate in Charikleides IV 556 M.

30 Κούρη (Koure) is the name for Selene in Orphic Hymn I, 9, otherwise famously Persephone.

31 This is what Hecate is called in the Magical Papyrus IV, Line 1433 Pr.

32 This is the name for Selene in Orphic Hymn IX 11, Persephone, ibid. XXIX 1, 17. Demeter, ibid. XL 18. and Aphrodite, ibid. LV 26, 27.