The Greek philosophical schools according to Europe's earliest 'history of philosophy': Towards a new pioneering critical edition of Philodemus' Arrangement of the Philosophers (DUS.AD014.014)
Thematic area
Social sciences and humanities, cultural heritage
Project area
Il manufatto come testimonianza storica e materiale del patrimonio culturale (DUS.AD014)Structure responsible for the research project
Istituto di Scienze del Patrimonio Culturale (ISPC)
Other structures collaborating in the research project
Project manager
GRAZIANO RANOCCHIA
Phone number: 050/2215601
Email: graziano.ranocchia@unipi.it
Abstract
Our knowledge about Greek philosophical schools is mostly second-hand and based on Diogenes Laërtius' Lives of Eminent Philosophers (3rd century AD) and Philodemus of Gadara's Arrangement of the Philosophers (75-50 BC) - hereinafter Syntaxis-, an extensive treatise in several books which represents the earliest 'history of philosophy' to have reached us directly from antiquity. From this work exclusively preserved by the Herculaneum papyri we may derive a virtually systematic account of the history of Greek philosophical schools, which is in many respects unique and much closer to the facts than Diogenes' is. Unfortunately, the original manuscripts which transmit it are in a poor state and the currently available editions of them have largely been made obsolete by the latest technological progress. By relying on the most advanced technologies available today, the project aims to provide a new innovative critical edition of the whole treatise and its different sections, with extensive introductions and commentaries.
Goals
We shall apply Shortwave-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging, TeraHertz Imaging, Optical Coherence Tomography, X-Ray Fluorescence Mapping, 3D Microscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Relaxometry to both opisthograph and multi-layered papyri belonging to Philodemus' Syntaxis, as well as to other papyri, in order to (a) read the text hidden on the verso, (b) detect, classify and replace overlapping layers, and (c) read the text concealed inside the latter. We shall combine these state-of-the-art methods with new, sounder philological approaches in order to produce a more reliable and substantially improved critical text of Philodemus' treatise and its various sections through an innovative editorial system. Finally, we shall produce an open-access electronic edition of it through a pioneering open-source scholarly Web platform, engaging the scientific community in an on-going and on-line collaborative review of our critical edition.
Start date of activity
01/01/2021
Keywords
Papyrology, palaeography, ancient philosophy, Characterisation methods of materials, Web and information systems, database systems, information retrieval and digital libraries
Last update: 15/06/2024