A new x-ray technique might enable scholars to read hundreds of lost philosophy texts which survive only in scrolls blackened by the ancient eruption of Mt. Veusvius.
The scrolls are believed to mostly contain writings by a follower of Epicurus named Philodemus. This could prove very significant to our understanding of the history of philosophy; while several works of Epicurus have survived, including some which summarize his teachings, most of Epicurus' numerous and lengthy works have been lost, and Philodemus' writings may contain additional information about their contents and the characteristic doctrines of the school.
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