An Ancient Ghost Story
Posted by Kushana Torumekia at 10/28/2008 3:27 PM 
Categories: Classics; Pliny the Younger; Paranormal; Ghosts; Archaeology; Roman Art
Categories: Classics; Pliny the Younger; Paranormal; Ghosts; Archaeology; Roman Art
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My helper tells me that one reader stumbled across this weblog looking for "Gnostic ghosts." That would make a charming article and I've been wracking my brain trying to think of a gnostic ghost story. (Many religions which have specific otherworldly destinations for the souls of the departed also have ghost stories - even if their dogma leaves no room for them.) I can't think of any evidence that the ancient Gnostics believed in ghosts nor of any stories.So, in the spirit of Halloween, I will give you a Classical ghost story, one I once translated in school:
(A Roman cup with skeletons found at Boscoreale.)
There was at Athens a large and roomy house, which had a bad name, so that no one could live there. In the dead of the night a noise, resembling the clashing of iron, was frequently heard, which, if you listened more attentively, sounded like the rattling of chains, distant at first, but approaching nearer by degrees: immediately afterwards a spectre appeared in the form of an old man, of extremely emaciated and squalid appearance, with a long beard and dishevelled, hair, rattling the chains on his feet and hands. The distressed occupants meanwhile passed their wakeful nights under the most dreadful terrors imaginable. This, as it broke their rest, ruined their health, and brought on distempers, their terror grew upon them, and death ensued. Even in the daytime, though the spirit did not appear, yet the impression remained so strong upon their imaginations that it still seemed before their eyes, and kept them in perpetual alarm. Consequently the house was at length deserted, as being deemed absolutely uninhabitable; so that it was now entirely abandoned to the ghost. However, in hopes that some tenant might be found who was ignorant of this very alarming circumstance, a bill was put up, giving notice that it was either to be let or sold. It happened that Athenodorus, the philosopher, came to Athens at this time, and, reading the bill, enquired the price. The extraordinary cheapness raised his suspicion; nevertheless, when and recognized the ghost exactly as it had been described to him: it stood before him, beckoning with the finger, like a person who calls another. Athenodorus in reply made a sign with his hand that it should wait a little, and threw his eyes again upon his papers; the ghost then rattled its chains over the head of the philosopher, who looked up upon this, and seeing it beckoning as before, immediately arose, and, light in hand, followed it. The ghost slowly stalked along, as if encumbered with its chains, and, turning into the area of the house, suddenly vanished. Athenodorus, being thus deserted, made a mark with some grass and leaves on the spot where the spirit left him. The next day he gave information to the magistrates, and advised them to order that spot to be dug up. This was accordingly done, and the skeleton of a man in chains was found there; for the body, having lain a considerable time in the ground, was putrefied and mouldered away from the fetters. The bones, being collected together, were publicly buried, and thus after the ghost was appeased by the proper ceremonies, the house was haunted no more.
Pliny the Younger, Letter 83, found at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/ancient/pliny-letters.html#GenPart%20VII My school translation is long lost.)
Happy Halloween!
-Kushana
That was an excellent story. It makes me wish I could say, "Who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!", in Latin. Goofiness aside I really enjoyed reading it.
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Thank you, it is one of my favorites. -Kushana
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