The evil eye. An account of this ancient and wide spread superstition

14 THE EVIL EYE chap.
evil glances. Soclarus then mentions the fact that
fathers and relatives sometimes bewitch their own
children unintentionally, and that some even fascinate
themselves by their own gaze.
He reminds them of the story of Eutelidas, who
like Narcissus fell a victim to the admiration he felt
for his own likeness.
Fair was Eutelidas once, with his beautiful hair,
But admiring his face in the stream, on himself he inflicted
A dread fascination, and wasted away with disease.
Theocritus also tells a story of a certain Damaetas
who had been boasting of the impression his own
beauty had made upon him when he had seen his
image reflected in the water. He, however, seemed
well aware of what might be the consequence, for
he adopted a well-known remedy against fascination,
by spitting three times on his breast. This will be
referred to later on.'"^
Further, among the Greeks and Romans, statues
of Nemesis were erected, which were adored and
Invoked to save their worshippers from fascination.
Few of the old classic writers^° fail to give an^
account of the dread power which some individuals
exercised over others. Women and children seem
to have been accounted by all as the most liable
to injury, while also some women were held to be
_^the most powerful fascinators. Not only was the
effect supposed to be produced by the eye
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6^6aX/jib