NEW DELHI: In a groundbreaking revelation made possible by advanced technologies, Italian researchers have uncovered new details about the life and final moments of the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato. Utilizing artificial intelligence alongside optical coherence tomography and infrared hyperspectral imaging, the team has deciphered texts from the Herculaneum papyrus scrolls, which were buried under volcanic ash after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The latest findings suggest that Plato was buried in a secret garden within the Platonic Academy of Athens, near a sacred shrine dedicated to the Muses. This location was previously unknown, as noted by Graziano Ranocchia, a professor of Papyrology at the University of Pisa. “It was previously only known that he was buried in the academy, but not specifically where,” Ranocchia told CNN.
Furthermore, the scrolls reveal more about Plato’s final night, contradicting earlier beliefs about his last moments. Despite suffering from a high fever on his deathbed, Plato was not pleased with the music played by a slave woman from Thrace, contrary to the previously thought “sweet notes” that were believed to be comforting. The philosopher found the flute music to have a “scant sense of rhythm,” a sentiment he expressed to a guest from Mesopotamia. “He was running a high fever and was bothered by the music they were playing,” added Ranocchia.
Additionally, the text sheds light on Plato’s experiences with slavery, clarifying that he was sold as a slave either after the death of Socrates in 399 BC or following the Spartan conquest of the island of Aegina in 404 BC. This corrects the earlier assumption that Plato was sold into slavery in 387 BC while in Sicily.
The scrolls, part of approximately 1,800 carbonized papyrus fragments found in the 18th century in a villa believed to have been owned by the father-in-law of Julius Caesar in Herculaneum, continue to be a vital source of historical and literary knowledge. The recent discoveries were part of a five-year Greek Schools project, funded by a €2.5 million grant from the European Union, aimed at deciphering these precious but fragile texts, the CNN report said.
“The increase in text roughly corresponds to the discovery of 10 new medium-sized papyrus fragments,” said Kilian Fleischer, editor of the papyri for the Greek Schools project. “The new readings often draw on new and concrete facts about Plato’s Academy, Hellenistic literature, Philodemus of Gadara, and ancient history in general.”
These revelations not only provide a deeper understanding of Plato’s personal experiences and the academic environment of his time but also open new avenues for further scholarly research into classical antiquity.
The latest findings suggest that Plato was buried in a secret garden within the Platonic Academy of Athens, near a sacred shrine dedicated to the Muses. This location was previously unknown, as noted by Graziano Ranocchia, a professor of Papyrology at the University of Pisa. “It was previously only known that he was buried in the academy, but not specifically where,” Ranocchia told CNN.
Furthermore, the scrolls reveal more about Plato’s final night, contradicting earlier beliefs about his last moments. Despite suffering from a high fever on his deathbed, Plato was not pleased with the music played by a slave woman from Thrace, contrary to the previously thought “sweet notes” that were believed to be comforting. The philosopher found the flute music to have a “scant sense of rhythm,” a sentiment he expressed to a guest from Mesopotamia. “He was running a high fever and was bothered by the music they were playing,” added Ranocchia.
Additionally, the text sheds light on Plato’s experiences with slavery, clarifying that he was sold as a slave either after the death of Socrates in 399 BC or following the Spartan conquest of the island of Aegina in 404 BC. This corrects the earlier assumption that Plato was sold into slavery in 387 BC while in Sicily.
The scrolls, part of approximately 1,800 carbonized papyrus fragments found in the 18th century in a villa believed to have been owned by the father-in-law of Julius Caesar in Herculaneum, continue to be a vital source of historical and literary knowledge. The recent discoveries were part of a five-year Greek Schools project, funded by a €2.5 million grant from the European Union, aimed at deciphering these precious but fragile texts, the CNN report said.
“The increase in text roughly corresponds to the discovery of 10 new medium-sized papyrus fragments,” said Kilian Fleischer, editor of the papyri for the Greek Schools project. “The new readings often draw on new and concrete facts about Plato’s Academy, Hellenistic literature, Philodemus of Gadara, and ancient history in general.”
These revelations not only provide a deeper understanding of Plato’s personal experiences and the academic environment of his time but also open new avenues for further scholarly research into classical antiquity.
