Decoded at last: the 'classical holy grail' that may rewrite the history of the world

RealOpinion.com ^

[illbill]

For more than a century, it has caused excitement and frustration in equal measure - a collection of Greek and Roman writings so vast it could redraw the map of classical civilisation. If only it was legible.

Now, in a breakthrough described as the classical equivalent of finding the holy grail, Oxford University scientists have employed infra-red technology to open up the hoard, known as the Oxyrhynchus Papyri, and with it the prospect that hundreds of lost Greek comedies, tragedies and epic poems will soon be revealed.

[AZLiberty]

Is this like finding the backup tapes for the lost library at Alexandria?

[jocon307]

"Is this like finding the backup tapes for the lost library at Alexandria?"

That's what some folks seem to think. I never read the MSM anymore, but so far I've only read about this on a couple of threads here. But it is pretty interesting.

I kind of doubt it's going to change the history of the world.

[jimtorr]

It could be anything from a vast collection of pornography to all the lost works of the ancient Greek masters that we only know about from later writers making references to them.

[Mike Fieschko]

ping. Another instance of the same article is at The Independent: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=630165.

[SunkenCiv]

Is this like finding the backup tapes for the lost library at Alexandria?

When the article (one like it that is) said that these were papyri, I got a little excited, but it turned out to come from a site more than 160 km from Alexandria. If the vintage of some of the scrolls is correct, they could have been made as copies from the "Ship's Library" originals. By the time the library was burned (according to a Moslem historian, the half-million books were burned by order of the Moslem caliph after the Conquest; not by Julius Caesar as is so often still heard; they were used to fuel the many hot baths in Alexandria, and this took six months) the papyrus originals had been replaced by more durable parchment. Presumably the Great Library papyri were dumped somewhere, or given away, or otherwise disposed of, and may yet emerge from a pile of refuse. That will be a great day.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Mike, for the ping. This is the, hmm, third? I'm adding it to the GGG list, but not sending the ping. :') Thanks again.

EXTRAORDINARY DISCOVERY UNLOCKS SECRETS OF THE ANCIENTS
The Sleeping Scotsman, Tall and Handsome Built
Sat 16 Apr 2005 | (Drudgereport.com) Scotsman.com
Posted on 04/16/2005 5:01:00 PM PDT by tricky_k_1972
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1385203/posts

WOW (Breakthrough in interpreting Oxyrhynchus Papyri)
the Light of Reason | 4/17/05 | Arthur Silber?
Posted on 04/17/2005 6:14:39 AM PDT by bitt
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1385405/posts

[SunkenCiv]

Fascinating history of the library. Notes that the library was *not* burned by Julius Caesar, and in fact was around during Roman times, and was finally consigned to the flames by the Moslems:

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The Vanished Library by Luciano Canfora tr by Martin Ryle

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Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on, off, or alter the "Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list --
Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
The GGG Digest -- Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

[Mike Fieschko]

Fascinating history of the library.

There's also POxy: Oxyrhynchus Online at the University of Oxford, and Waste Paper City at the P.Oxy site.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks for the links. I thought I'd posted those over in the "Extraordinary" thread, but hadn't.