Italian papyrologist Graziano Ranocchia from the University of Pisa has announced that he and his team have discovered the long-lost burial site of the famous Greek philosopher Plato.
To achieve this, the researchers deciphered the charred scrolls of Herculaneum. This task had eluded scholars since 1752, when the scrolls were first uncovered at a villa near the Bay of Naples. It was believed that this villa once belonged to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. The papyri were too fragile to be unrolled.
Their contents have only now come to light, thanks to Graziano Ranocchia and his team’s use of artificial intelligence.
Herculaneum is an ancient Roman city located in the Italian region of Campania. It is known for, like Pompeii and Stabiae, having been buried under a layer of pyroclastic flows during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in the fall of 79 AD.
What Scientists Discovered
Until recently, scholars only knew that Plato, who died around 347 BC, was buried at the Academy in Athens. This renowned institution was founded by the philosopher in 387 BC.
In the scrolls, researchers found information indicating that Plato’s grave was located in a garden near the so-called Mouseion—a small building dedicated to the Muses.
A few years ago, Graziano Ranocchia and his colleagues established a laboratory at the National Library of Naples, which facilitated access to more than 1,800 Herculaneum scrolls housed there.
Recently, the team employed artificial intelligence tools to help decipher the ancient documents. The scientists took hundreds of images of the burnt papyrus before analyzing it with an algorithm. According to Science.org, the researchers used infrared visualization, allowing them to view the text on both the front and back of the scroll.
Overall, Ranocchia and his team read approximately 1,000 words using “bionic eyes,” which corresponds to 30 percent of the text. The researchers hope to read the entire scroll by 2026.
“Compared to previous editions, the text has changed almost radically, revealing a number of new and specific facts about various academic philosophers,” noted Mr. Ranocchia. “Among the most significant news, we read that Plato was buried in a designated garden of the Academy in Athens, near the so-called Mouseion or sanctuary dedicated to the Muses. Until now, it was only known that he was buried at the Academy,” he added.
Plato is regarded as one of the most outstanding of all Greek philosophers. Along with his mentor Socrates and his student Aristotle, he laid the foundations of Western philosophy and science, as reported by the Daily Mail.
The Academy was located on the outskirts of Athens, on land purchased by Plato in 387 BC. It is recognized as the first institution of higher learning in Ancient Greece.
According to the new analysis of the scrolls, Plato may have been sold into slavery in 399 BC, after Socrates’ death, or in 404 BC during the Spartan conquest of the island of Aegina.
“It was previously believed that Plato was sold into slavery in 387 BC while he was in Sicily at the court of Dionysius I of Syracuse,” noted Mr. Ranocchia.