Philodems "Geschichte der Akademie" (Index Academicorum)

• Applicant: Dr. Kilian Fleischer
• Subject Area: Greek and Latin Philology
• Term: from 2018 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 404417078

The so-called Index Academicorum is a book of the Epicurean philosopher Philodemus about Plato and the history of the Academy. It is mainly preserved on a carbonised papyrus from Herculaneum (PHerc. 1691/1021). Modern multispectral images (MSI) allow us to read this very dark and charred papyrus much better now than previous editors could. Within the scope of a Marie-Curie-Fellowship I have worked on this papyrus in Naples for the last two years and have been able to reconstruct a new text which is improved by 10-20% in comparison with the previous edition. It reveals new information about Plato and other Academic philosophers. There are also new insights into the structure of the text and material aspects of the papyrus. The new readings and other discoveries are qualitatively and quantitatively so significant that a comprehensive new assessment, contextualisation and commentary of this work, which is so important for the history of philosophy, are necessary. Besides the analysis of the content itself of the Index Academicorum, which is for philosophers, papyrologists, historians, classicist and epigraphers alike of outstanding interest, the material aspects deserve special consideration. For, the papyrus scroll is a unique case amongst the Herculanean papyri, inasmuch as it is a real author's manuscript, Philodemus’ draft version, which also bears some text on its back (opistograph). Therefore the papyrus provides us with a valuable insight into the process of writing an ancient book, particularly as the draft can be compared with the few remains of the final version (PHerc.164). In the course of the intended DFG-project the ’ Index Academicorum, a work so relevant for scholars from different fields, shall be reappraised profoundly on basis of the new text and discussed under various aspects. The project aims at a ground-breaking monograph including a new edition of the Index Academicorum.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants