A papyrus scroll reportedly found in the ashes of one of the deadliest volcanic eruptions in history may have revealed new details about Plato’s last night alive.
Tuesday 30 April at 11:40 am
According to The Guardian, the newly decoded scroll contains a previously unknown account of how the Greek philosopher spent his last evening. The scroll describes how Plato, despite having a fever and being on the brink of death, listened to flute music played by a slave girl.
The text suggests that Plato also had enough clarity to criticize the musician for a lack of rhythm.
The decoded words also suggest that Plato’s burial place was in his designated garden at the Academy of Athens, the world’s first university which he founded, writes The Guardian.
– Thanks to the most advanced imaging techniques, we are finally able to read and decipher new parts of texts that previously seemed inaccessible, says Professor Graziano Ranocchia at the University of Pisa, who led the team behind the discovery.
The scroll was first buried in ashes after the eruption of the volcano Vesuvius in the year 79, writes The Guardian. The eruption buried and destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum.
The scroll was later preserved in a luxurious villa in Herculaneum and discovered in 1750. It is believed to have belonged to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law.
Plato is believed to have been born around 428 BC, before dying around 348 BC.
