The first two lines of this ancient papyrus artefact are inscribed with the names of the higher powers later addressed in the invocation and a vowel sequence : “[ia]rbath agrammê phiblô chnêmeô [a e] êêê iiii ooooo yyyyyy ôôôôôô[ô]” Here, the seven vowels of the Greek alphabet are increasing in number, but further down they are written in a decreasing triangle-shape.
Lines 3-5 read contain the request: “Lord gods, heal Helene, whom [NN] bore, from every illness and every (onslaught of) shivering and fever, ephemeral, quotidian, tertian, quartan [?].”
The incresing vowel sequence might have been used to increase the power of the higher powers called upon. The decreasing vowel sequence is likely a visual representation of the intended decrease of power of the fever.
Papyrus, 3rd century, Egypt, 12 x 5.8 cm
Infographic from my new book “The Archaeology of Ancient Magic”.
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Photo: P.Mich.inv. 6666, The University of Michigan Library, Public Domain