Aktiophis: of unknown meaning, used in several hymns to Selene and Hekate in the PGM.
Let all the darkness of clouds be dispersed for me, and let the goddess AKTIOPHIS shine for me, and let her hear my holy voice. … for she has slanderously brought your holy mysteries to the knowledge of men, she, NN, is the one, [not] I, who says, ‘I have seen the greatest goddess, after leaving the heavenly vault, on earth without sandals, sword in hand, and [speaking] a foul tongue.’ It is she, NN, who said, ‘I saw [the goddess] drinking blood.’ She, NN, said it, not I, AKTIOPHIS ERESCHIGAL NEBOUTOSOUALETH PHORPHORBA SATRAPAMMON CHOIRIXIE, flesh eater. Go to her, NN, and take away her sleep and put a burning heat in her soul, punishment and frenzied passion in her thoughts, and banish her from every place and every house, and attract her here to me, NN. – PGM IV. 2441-2621
Bonner tells us that Aktiophis is a moon goddess associated with many different Greek Goddesses. In the PGM the name is often invoked as part of a string of the barbaric words, or voces magicae, which are understood to be magical gibberish.
But you, O Hekate, of many names, O Virgin, Kore, Goddess, Come, I ask, O guard and shelter of the threshing floor, Persephone, O triple-headed goddess, who walk on fire, cow-eyed BOUORPHORBE PANPHORBA PHORBARA AKTIOPHI ERESCHIGAL / NEBOUTOSOUALETH Beside the doors, PYPYLEDEDEZO and gate-breaker; Come Hekate, of fiery counsel, I call you to my sacred chants. – PGM IV 2708
Betz mentions in his glossary that Hopfner believes Aktiophi(s) to be an epithet for Selene, but does not put forth evidence one way or another. The name appears in numerous spells in the PGM, and few are useful as a means of discovering Aktiophis’ true nature.
But you, AKTIOPHIS, Mistress, Selene, Only Ruler, Swift Fortune of daimons and gods. – PGM IV. 2441-2621, which is very similar to PGM IV 2622-2707 in these particulars.
For I adjure you, Kythere, NOUMILLON BIOMBILLON AKTIOPHI ERESCHIGAL NEBOUTOSOUALETH PHROUREXIA THERMIDOUCHE BAREO / NE. – PGM IV. 2891-2942, wherein the epithet is found associated with Aphrodite’s epithet Kythere, and which precedes a second reference to the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite Kythereia.
In PGM VII. 317-18, we see Aktiophis mentioned as part of a spell to make a phylactery, which specifies that the voces magicae are to be spoken to the Moon.
In a fragment of a love spell (PGM VII.981-93) that seems focused largely toward Helios, we find Aktiophis mentioned again in conjunction with Ereschigal and Persephone.
As you can see, several of the appearances of the name Aktiophis comes alongside the name Ereschigal. This Goddess originates in Mesopotamia and shares many traits with Hekate, particularly the dominion over death and birth. Multiple spells in the PGM conflate the two.
Looking at words that resemble parts of Aktiophis in the LSJ, one doesn’t find too much. The word aktios refers to the coast, and is an epithet for the God Pan. As a liminal power, Hekate Aktiophis could be a goddess of the coasts, but that would be pure speculation. Scholars seem to think that Aktiophis is a Goddess in her own right, associated with the Moon, but they each neglect to explain their reasoning, as near as I can tell.
In the PGM, Aktiophis is as likely to be used in a string of barbarous words, known as voces magicae, which are best understood as words of power. The sorcerors and magicians who compiled the PGM weren’t, near as we can tell, concerned with the meaning of these words. Their origin was not important either. What mattered was that they were powerful and, in the right context, capable of empowering the spells.
In short, though scholars describe Aktiophis as a goddess in her own right, not much is known about her, nor why she was associated with Hekate, Aphrodite, and Selene. Ultimately, Aktiophis is less an epithet, and more an association.
http://oracc.museum.upenn.edu/amgg/listofdeities/erekigal/
http://lsj.translatum.gr/
Betz, Hans Dieter. The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation: including the Demotic Spells, 2nd ed., Chicago, 1992.
Bonner, Campbell. Studies in Magical Amulets: chiefly Graeco-Egyptian, Univ. Michigan, 1950.
MacMullen, Ramsay and Eugene Lane. Paganism and Christianity, 100-425 CE: A Sourcebook, Fortress, 1992.
Wilcken, Ulrich. Archiv für Papyrusforschung und verwandte Gebiete, Vol. 44,
Teubner, 1998. Images: Stein, Oliver. “Lunar Eclipse, 9/11/2003” photo, via wikicommons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lunar-eclipse-09-11-2003.jpeg
V., Christos. “The Myrtos Beach in Pylaros/Kefalonia,” photo, via wikicommons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Myrtos.jpg
