This volume investigates the historical, religious, and linguistic significance of a fifth-century BC lead tablet containing forty-four magical hexameters discovered in Selinous, Sicily. Christopher A. Faraone and Dirk Obbink, both established scholars in the field of classical studies, curate this critical edition to provide a comprehensive analysis of the artifact. By combining a new critical text and translation with a series of expert essays, the authors argue that these inscriptions offer unique insights into the intersection of civic ritual and private magical practice in the ancient Mediterranean world.

Scholars and classicists recognize this work as the definitive critical edition for the study of the Getty Hexameters. The text is noted for its high academic density and serves as a foundational resource for researchers examining ancient ritual practices and Greek epigraphy.