Thanks to the Herculaneum Papyri, Plato’s tomb in Athens has been identified

An important archaeological discovery has revealed the mystery of the burial place of the Greek philosopher Plato. Thanks to the in-depth analysis of a charred Herculaneum papyrus, scholars have identified Plato’s tomb in the garden reserved for him inside the Academy of Athens, near the Museion, the shrine sacred to the Muses.

The discovery emerged as part of the “GreekSchools” research project, funded with 2,498,356 euros by the European Research Council (ERC) and started in 2021. The project, coordinated by Graziano Ranocchia of the University of Pisa, has the objective of studying and publishing an updated edition of Philodemus of Gadara’s Review of the Philosophers, the oldest history of Greek philosophy in our possession.

Innovative technologies to recover the past

Thanks to the application of innovative study methodologies, including imaging techniques and philological methods, the experts managed to extrapolate over a thousand words from the Herculaneum papyrus, corresponding to 30% of the original text. This has allowed us to reconstruct Plato’s life and work with greater precision, also revealing some previously unpublished details.

Among the novelties that emerged from the analysis of the papyrus, the discovery that Plato was sold as a slave on the island of Aegina perhaps already in 404 BC, anticipating the date hypothesized so far by about 20 years. Furthermore, the philosopher expresses himself contemptuously about the musical abilities of a Thracian musician, revealing an unprecedented side of her personality.

“Compared to previous editions, there is now an almost radically changed text, which implies a series of new and concrete facts about various academic philosophers,” commented Graziano Ranocchia. “The new readings often draw on new and concrete facts about Plato’s Academy, Hellenistic literature, Philodemus of Gadara, and ancient history in general.”

In addition to the investigation into Plato’s burial, the GreekSchools project also focuses on the state of conservation of ancient papyri and on the development of innovative investigation methods, applying latest generation diagnostic imaging techniques.

An important milestone for Italian culture

The discovery of Plato’s tomb represents a significant milestone for Italian culture and for the history of Western philosophy. The GreekSchools project once again demonstrates the excellence of Italian research and its commitment to enhancing cultural heritage.