This story is a collaboration with Biography.com.
An ancient, charred scroll that once lied beneath the ashes of Mount Vesuvius has unveiled the true resting place of Plato—and a bizarre detail about the Greek philosopher’s final moments.
In 79 AD, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius not only buried the city of Pompeii, in southern Italy, but also its neighboring town, Herculaneum, and its library of important scrolls. Those Herculaneum scrolls were carbonized by volcanic ash, and were virtually unreadable until recent technological advancements, including infrared hyperspectral imaging and AI with optical coherence tomography imaging.
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Now, Italy’s National Research Council reports that it has deciphered over 1,000 words (about 30 percent) of one such scroll, which contains the History of the Academy, written by Philodemus of Gadara about Plato’s philosophy school, the Platonic Academy.
“Compared to previous editions, there is now an almost radically changed text, implying a number of new and concrete facts about various academic philosophers,” archaeologist Graziano Ranocchia, a professor at the University of Pisa, says in a translated statement.
Historians generally knew that Plato was buried somewhere on the grounds of the Platonic Academy in Athens, the first institute of higher learning in the Western world, following his death in 348 BC. But the scroll reveals a more precise location: a private garden area of the academy, likely near the shrine to the Muses. The Roman general Sulla leveled the academy in 86 BC.
Additionally, scholars previously believed that Plato was sold into slavery in 387 BC while in Sicily, but the scrolls say it actually happened between 404 and 399 BC on the island of Aegina, either when the Spartans conquered the island or immediately after the death of Socrates.
Then there’s another surprising revelation. While historians always thought Plato spent his feverish final night peacefully enjoying music played by a local slave woman, the scrolls say he was actually irritated by the music, criticizing the “barbarian” musician for her “scant sense of rhythm.”
In his statement, Ranocchia says the newly deciphered scroll is the oldest history of Greek philosophy in our possession. He hopes to complete deciphering the scroll in 2026, according to The Independent.
By then, scholars may reveal more secrets Plato. We know the basics: He was born sometime around 428 BC into Greek aristocracy, which likely afforded him some of the finest teachers in Athens, setting the stage for meeting his mentor, Socrates. Plato became so impressed with the methods of dialogue and debate of Socrates, according to Biography, that he became a close associate and dedicated his life to the question of virtue and the formation of a noble character.
We also know Plato served for a brief time during the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta, which was a tumultuous period. After Socrates’ death, Plato traveled for a dozen years throughout the Mediterranean, studying and writing. His works are categorized into three periods: conveying Socrates’ philosophy; exploring his own ideas on justice, courage, wisdom, and moderation; and examining the roles of art, music, drama, architecture, ethics, and mortality.
And along the way, likely around 385 BC, he founded his school of learning. While at the Platonic Academy, he taught his most famous pupil, Aristotle, who would take his teachings in new directions. Plato served at the academy until his death in his early 80s.
And while Plato suffered from a high fever—and, evidently, an annoying soundtrack—during his last night on Earth, there’s still so much we don’t know about the legendary philosopher, including details about his daily life, relationships, and other works. But as archaeologists continue to decipher the scrolls, we might finally learn crucial missing information that solves some of the mystery.
