The thread was so old ....
Villa of the Papyri
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Minimalist
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Pope, your clarion call for action stirred my blood and impelled me to do something about it other than sit here in front of this infernal screen and think of mere words. I sweated blood for a while, paced up and down, and then knew what I had to do … I had to have a drink … two fingers of Famous Grouse … then two more….
I’m all right now. 40% Scotch insulates the impotence. I think it was William Faulkner who said that there was no problem a glass of whisky couldn’t solve. Thank you for reminding me.
Anyway, back to mere words. You should take comfort that the retrieved papyri are subject to ongoing examination and that further excavations are being sought. It is significant that money appears to be not the paramount issue. Also, it is not certain that there are more books to be found. Of those that have been retrieved about half are as yet unread (but safe, hopefully). So there are grounds for optimism here.
Like yourself, I think this is an extraordinary site made fabulous by the library. In my opinion it should be given the highest priority.
As an aside. Piso is reported to be a fan of Epicurus. If this assumption is based upon the books so far retrieved (and read), isn’t this belief a bit premature without knowing the contents of the other books? An educated Roman surely collected and read more than one philosopher, however popular he might have been. It is worth remembering that a perennial bestseller in the ancient world was Homer.
I’m all right now. 40% Scotch insulates the impotence. I think it was William Faulkner who said that there was no problem a glass of whisky couldn’t solve. Thank you for reminding me.
Anyway, back to mere words. You should take comfort that the retrieved papyri are subject to ongoing examination and that further excavations are being sought. It is significant that money appears to be not the paramount issue. Also, it is not certain that there are more books to be found. Of those that have been retrieved about half are as yet unread (but safe, hopefully). So there are grounds for optimism here.
Like yourself, I think this is an extraordinary site made fabulous by the library. In my opinion it should be given the highest priority.
As an aside. Piso is reported to be a fan of Epicurus. If this assumption is based upon the books so far retrieved (and read), isn’t this belief a bit premature without knowing the contents of the other books? An educated Roman surely collected and read more than one philosopher, however popular he might have been. It is worth remembering that a perennial bestseller in the ancient world was Homer.
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Minimalist
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- Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2005 1:09 pm
- Location: Arizona
Equally true is that the Calpurnii were a rich and influential family throughout the entire period. Lucius Calpurnius Piso was Caesar's father-in-law in 44 BC.....Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso was appointed Governor of Syria by Tiberius in 17 AD. Gaius Calpurnius Piso was an influential senator who led an abortive plot against Nero in 65. They would have had a lot of time to gather material for their library.
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
-- George Carlin
-- George Carlin