Experts say ancient text reveals details of Plato’s tomb and his last night

(CNN) — According to Italian researchers, newly deciphered text from an ancient scroll may finally reveal the location where Greek philosopher Plato was buried, as well as how he felt about the music played on his deathbed.

The so-called Herculaneum Papyri, which were burned after being buried under layers of volcanic ash following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, are continuing to be examined by experts using artificial intelligence and other technologies.

The latest revelation is that Plato was believed to be buried in a secret garden near the Sacred Sanctuary of the Muses within the Academy of Athens, which was reserved for him, according to Graziano Ranocchia, professor of papyrology in the Department of Philology, Literature. and Linguistics at the University of Pisa.

Ranocchia told CNN on Tuesday that, so far, it was only known that he was buried at the academy, but not specifically where.

The Academy of Athens was destroyed by the Roman general Sulla in 86 BC.

The text also provides more details about Plato’s last night, and reveals that he was not happy with the music being played.

Until now, it was believed that the so-called “sweet notes” played by the Thracian slave were to Plato’s liking, experts told a presentation held in Naples last week.

But texts now reveal that, in fact, despite having a high fever on his deathbed, he discovered that he had a “poor sense of rhythm” in flute music, according to Ranocchia, who said he had learned it for a Mesopotamian guest. Comments were made.

“He had a high fever and was feeling uncomfortable with the music they were playing,” Ranocchia said.

The newly read text also clarifies the circumstances in which Plato was sold on the island of Aegina in 399 BC, after the death of Socrates, or in 404 BC, after it was conquered by the Spartans in Naples. Previously, it was believed that she was sold into slavery in Sicily in 387 BC.

The text is part of about 1,800 burnt scrolls discovered in the 18th century in a building believed to have belonged to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law, who lived in Herculaneum, a coastal town about 20 kilometers from Pompeii.

Experts are using artificial intelligence along with optical coherence tomography, an imaging technique, and infrared hyperspectral imaging technology to read previously hidden text sequences from the partially destroyed papyri.

According to Ranocchia, who presented the results at the University of Naples on April 23, the latest discovery comes from a fragment of more than 1,000 words (about 30% of the text) that was deciphered and re-read on the final analysis.

The discovery was made in 2021 thanks to a grant of 2.5 million euros (2.7 million US dollars) from the European Union (ERC, European Research Council).

The project, called Greek Schools, is a five-year study that will use a variety of technologies and methods to help decipher the delicate papyri.

“The increase in text roughly corresponds to the discovery of 10 new medium-sized papyrus fragments,” said Kilian Fleischer, editor of papyri for the Greek Schools Project, at the presentation in Naples. “New readings are often based on new, solid facts about Plato’s Academy, Hellenistic literature, Philodemus of Gadara, and ancient history in general.”