Italian researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery, uncovering new details about the burial place and final days of ancient Greek philosopher Plato. The revelation comes from deciphered text on ancient scrolls, known as the Herculaneum papyri, which were charred and buried under volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Using cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, optical coherence tomography, and infrared hyperspectral imaging, experts have been able to read previously hidden text from the fragile papyri. The latest discovery reveals that Plato was buried in a secret garden within the Platonic Academy of Athens, specifically in a sacred shrine to the Muses.
Professor Graziano Ranocchia, a papyrologist at the University of Pisa, led the research and presented the findings in Naples last week. According to Ranocchia, the text also sheds light on Plato's final night, contradicting previous beliefs that he enjoyed the music played by a slave woman from Thrace. Instead, despite running a high fever, Plato found the flute music to have a "scant sense of rhythm" and was bothered by it.
The newly deciphered text also provides clarity on the circumstances surrounding Plato's sale into slavery, which occurred either in 399 BC after the death of Socrates or in 404 BC on the island of Aegina. Previously, it was thought he was sold into slavery in 387 BC while in Sicily.
The Herculaneum papyri are a treasure trove of ancient knowledge, with around 1,800 carbonized scrolls discovered in the 18th century. The latest discovery comes from a passage of over 1,000 words, about 30% of the text, which was deciphered and re-deciphered over the last year.
The research project, called the Greek Schools project, is a five-year study funded by a €2.5 million grant from the European Union. The project aims to decipher the fragile papyri using various technologies and methods, and has already led to significant discoveries about Plato's Academy, Hellenistic literature, and ancient history.
The discovery is a testament to the power of technology and collaboration in uncovering the secrets of the past. As Kilian Fleischer, the editor of the papyri for the Greek Schools project, noted, "The new readings often draw on new and concrete facts about Plato's Academy, Hellenistic literature, Philodemus of Gadara, and ancient history in general."
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