Discover
Symbols
Search researched meanings first, then narrow by tradition, era, object, practical use, style, or emotion.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Hercules Club Pendant
A fourth-century Romano-British gold club pendant that invokes Hercules through his defining weapon, while leaving its wearer’s intended benefit uncertain.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Herm Boundary Marker
A pillar bearing the head of Hermes, set at roads, gates, and boundaries to mark space and invoke protection for travellers and communities.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Isiac Sistrum
A Roman bronze sistrum used in Isiac worship, whose jingling ritual sound was understood to ward off evil.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Lar Familiaris Figure
A youthful Roman household guardian whose presence in the lararium invoked protection, health, and prosperity for the family.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Lararium Guardian Serpent
A serpent approaching the household altar, drawn from Pompeian lararium paintings where paired snakes accompanied domestic ritual and good fortune.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Mano Fica Hand
A clenched hand with the thumb thrust between two fingers, used in Roman amulets as a provocative defence against the evil eye.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Priapus Garden Guardian
An explicitly phallic figure of Priapus, placed in the Greco-Roman imagination as a guardian of gardens, vines, bees, and flocks.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Protective Prayer Amulet
A Roman-period agate amulet whose protection was carried in an inscribed prayer rather than a single pictorial emblem.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Roman Bulla Pendant
A rounded Roman pendant worn especially by children as a personal safeguard against the evil eye.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Safe Childbirth Lamella
A Roman gold lamella inscribed in Greek for Fabia, daughter of Terentia, as a personalized charm intended to help her give birth safely.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Sulphur Capsule Amulet
A fourth-century Romano-British gold capsule from the Thetford Treasure, sealed around sulphur whose intended protective or medicinal action remains unknown.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Winged Phallus Tintinnabulum
A fantastical Roman hanging charm combining a winged phallus with bells to protect a household and attract good fortune.
Classical Antiquity · documented field
Winged Thunderbolt Pendant
A Roman gold pendant combining a winged thunderbolt with suspended Medusa masks, catalogued as probably amuletic but without a recorded personal purpose.