The Archimedes Palimpsest and its New Texts:
A British Academy Presentation Evening William Noel, The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore and
Christopher Carey, University College London Chair: Eric Handley, FBA, University of Cambridge Wednesday, 13 December 2006
6.00pm - 7pm
£10 (£5 concessions) to include drinks reception The British Academy, 10 Carlton House Terrace,
London, SW1Y 5AH Lost works of the Greek mathematician Archimedes have revived interest in his scientific achievements since their recent recovery from a prayer-book dating from AD 1229. About a millennium and a half after he wrote these treatises, vellum leaves from a tenth-century copy of them were cleaned and over-written, and so now survive. State-of-the-art technology makes it possible to decipher what the unaided eye can no longer see. Several other texts, not all so far identified, were also palimpsested in this way to make the prayer-book. The British Academy has taken a special interest in five leaves that have the remains of two lost speeches by the fourth-century orator Hyperides. One of them relates to a private action on behalf of three orphans against a guardian's treatment of them, and is mainly of sociological and legal interest; the other relates to the bitter political argument reflected in the speeches made in 330 BC by Aeschines (Against Ctesiphon) and Demosthenes (On the Crown), to which it adds new perspectives. An international colloquium at the Academy on 16 February discussed some preliminary readings and laid plans for future work; a further meeting on 13 December will assess progress to date. The Archimedes Palimpsest and its New Texts will be the subject of a presentation open to all interested at the British Academy. A drinks reception will follow the presentation and there will be opportunities to meet members of the research team and see a display of some of the results of the project. Further details about the Archimedes Palimpsest are available at http://www.archimedespalimpsest.org < back |
