Even if you can name only one ancient Greek, you can name PlaÂto. You can also probÂaÂbly say at least a litÂtle about him, if only some of the things humanÂiÂty has known since antiqÂuiÂty. Until recentÂly, of course, that qualÂiÂfiÂcaÂtion would have been redunÂdant. But now, thanks to an ongoÂing high-tech push to read heretoÂfore inacÂcesÂsiÂble ancient docÂuÂments, we’re witÂnessÂing the emerÂgence of new knowlÂedge about that most famous of all Greek philosoÂphers — or at least one of the most famous Greek philosoÂphers, matched in renown only by his teacher Socrates and his stuÂdent ArisÂtoÂtle.
Up until now, we’ve only had a genÂerÂal idea of where PlaÂto was interred after his death in 348 BC. But “thanks to an ancient text and speÂcialÂized scanÂning techÂnolÂoÂgy,” writes Smithsonian.com’s SonÂja AnderÂson, “researchers say they have solved the mysÂtery of Plato’s burÂial place: The Greek philosoÂpher was interred in the garÂden of his Athens acadÂeÂmy, where he once tutored a young ArisÂtoÂtle.” This locaÂtion was recordÂed about two milÂlenÂnia ago “on a papyrus scroll housed in the Roman city of HerÂcuÂlaÂneum,” which was entombed along with PomÂpeii by the exploÂsion of Mount VesuÂvius in 79 AD.
Like much else in those cities, this scroll was preÂserved for cenÂturies under layÂers of ash. It was just one of many scrolls disÂcovÂered in a vilÂla, which may have belonged to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law, back in 1750. But for long thereÂafter, those scrolls were more or less unreadÂable, havÂing been so thorÂoughÂly charred by the exploÂsion of Mount VesuÂvius that they crumÂbled to dust at any attempt to unroll them. But “recent breakÂthroughs have allowed researchers to read the fragÂile texts withÂout touchÂing them”: witÂness the projects involvÂing parÂtiÂcle accelÂerÂaÂtors and artiÂfiÂcial intelÂliÂgence preÂviÂousÂly feaÂtured here on Open CulÂture.
The research project that has deciÂphered part of this scroll, a text by the philosoÂpher PhilodeÂmus called the HisÂtoÂry of the AcadÂeÂmy — that is, PlaÂto’s acadÂeÂmy in Athens — is led by UniÂverÂsiÂty of Pisa proÂfesÂsor of papyÂrolÂoÂgy Graziano RanocÂchia. Using a “bionÂic eye” techÂnique involvÂing infrared and X‑ray scanÂners, he and his team have also disÂcovÂered eviÂdence that PlaÂto didÂn’t much like the music played at his deathbed by a ThraÂcian slave girl. “Despite batÂtling a fever and being on the brink of death,” writes the Guardian’s LorenÂzo TonÂdo, he “retained enough lucidÂiÂty to criÂtique the musiÂcian for her lack of rhythm.” Even if you know litÂtle about PlaÂto, you’re probÂaÂbly not surÂprised to hear that he was pointÂing out the difÂferÂence between the real and the ideÂal up until the very end.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
Researchers Use AI to Decode the First Word on an Ancient Scroll Burned by VesuÂvius
Orson Welles NarÂrates an AniÂmaÂtion of Plato’s Cave AlleÂgoÂry
Plato’s DiaÂlogue GorÂgias Gets AdaptÂed into a Short Avant-Garde Film
How 99% of Ancient LitÂerÂaÂture Was Lost
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities, the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.