Amulet - probably a word of Latin origin, "amuletum" is an object with apotropaic characteristics, that is, it is protective in its function. It is, therefore, an object, image or even a written formula that embodies a positive magical character of protection or good luck, used to ward off curses, evil influences, natural disasters and illnesses. Plíny, in his Natural History, defines it as an "object that protects a person with problems".

Amulets were used and placed either next to the body or in certain physical places, such as a house, a public building, or a wall, to obtain the desired results. Amulets were used by the Romans to ward off the evils of envy or “evils of the eye” (oculus malignus), in the belief that they would ward off harmful energies. There were many typologies such as those for personal use - pendants, small phallic objects, fascina, figs - mano Fica -, lion heads, but also the bulla and the lunula. There also included domestic objects, guaranteeing the safety of the house and its inhabitants, and we still find elements with apotropaic functions in architectural elements of public buildings, such as clipei or Medusa's head, today.

It was believed that the most susceptible individuals were newborns and young children (probably due to the high rate of infant mortality), mothers who had just given birth, and beautiful or successful people. Individuals with difficulties – physical or psychological – were not objects of envy. Known since ancient times, amulets, in societies as superstitious as that of the Romans, were and are in common use and come in a variety of types.

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Filomena Barata

CIDHEUS - Centro Interdisciplinar de História, Culturas e Sociedades. Universidade de Évora.

Centro de Estudos Clássicos da Faculdade de Letras de Lisboa