Philodemus’ History of the Academy. Groundwork for a New Innovative Critical Edition

The Project

Philodemus’ 'History of the Academy' (PHerc. 1691/1021 and PHerc. 164) contains much otherwise lost information about the development of the Academic school and its most prominent figures, from Plato to Antiochus and Aristus of Ascalon. Now, the research of the last eighteen years has shown that the last edition of this book may considerably be improved upon. This, contrasted with the current availability of pioneering techniques for reading papyri and the possibility of developing completely new and more promising ones, makes it a desideratum of the research to produce a new modern critical edition of this unique book. The primary goal of this project is to lay the foundation for precisely this new edition, paving the way for a new method of editing Herculanean texts. To achieve this goal, the supervisor will directly coach the applicant and work together with him on a daily basis in order to transfer him all the specific papyrological, palaeographical and philological competences necessary for its immediate preparation.

The Fellow

Kilian Josef Fleischer (born in Fulda, 1985) is graduated in both Classics and Economics & Finance at the University of Würzburg, Germany. There he obtained a PhD in Classics (Greek) with a dissertation about Dionysios of Alexandria’s On nature and Epicureanism in Alexandria. He was awarded several scholarships. As a graduate student, he received for one year papyrological training at the University of Oxford; as a PhD student, he spent a few months at the University of Notre Dame (US), focusing on theological aspects of his dissertation. He worked as a postdoctoral research assistant in papyrology at the University of Oxford, before he became a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (2016- ) at the CNR-ILIESI (Rome/Naples). His research focus lies on (Herculanean) papyrology, Epicureanism, Hellenistic philosophy and Early Christian Literature. Currently he is preparing a new critical edition of Philodemus’ History of the Academy (PHerc. 1691/1021 and 164).

Public Engagement

• Participation in the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Rome, 30 January 2017.
• K. Fleischer, Il programma Marie Sklodowska-Curie per la mobilità europea dei ricercatori, presentation held at the Researchers’ Night, University of Calabria (Cosenza), 29 September 2017.
• Participation in the APRE Info-day on Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships: How to write a successful proposal, Venice, 8 May 2018.

Dissemination

• K. Fleischer, New Evidence on the Death of Philo of Larissa (PHerc. 1021, col. 33,42 -34,7), in: Cambridge Classical Journal 63 (2017) (PDF).
• K. Fleischer, The pupils of Philo of Larisa and Philodemus’ stay in Sicily (PHerc. 1021, col. XXXIV 6-19), in: Cronache Ercolanesi 47 (2017), pp.73-85 (PDF).
• K. Fleischer, Report about the 28th International Congress of Papyrology in Barcelona (2016). Herculanean papyri and non-invasive unrolling techniques, in: Lexicon Philosophicum 5 (2017) (PDF).
• K. Fleischer, Die Lokalisierung der Verso-Kolumnen von PHerc. 1021 (Philodem, Index Academicorum, in: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 2017, pp. 27-39 (PDF).
• K. Fleischer, Starb Philo von Larissa im Alter von 63 Jahren? (PHerc. 1021, col. 33), in: Archiv für Papyrusforschung 63/2 (2017), pp. 335-366 (PDF).
• K. Fleischer, (Keine) Hoffnung auf neuen Text zur Geschichte der Akademie (PHerc. 164)?, in: Studi di Egittologia e Papirologia 15 (2018), pp. 53-60.
• K. Fleischer, The Complete Title of a Work of Hermippus (FGrHist 1026 39,40), in: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 206 (2018), pp. 40-46 (PDF).
• K. Fleischer, Eine neue Hypereidesrede aus Herkulaneum: Gegen die Gesandten des Antipatros (PHerc. 1021 Kol. 11+12), in: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik 207 (2018), pp. 21-38 (PDF).
• K. Fleischer,  Moschion von Mallos in Apollodors Chronik und eine mögliche Auslassung Philodems (PHerc. 1021, Kol. 27,35-38), in: Cronache Ercolanesi 48 (2018), pp. 67-74 (PDF).
• K. Fleischer, Two notes on the “Vita Socratis” – Oxford disegni and PHerc. 495 frg. 2 col. II/frg. 1 O Giuliano, in: Cronache Ercolanesi 48 (2018), pp. 75-82 (PDF).
• K. Fleischer, Crantor of Soli: His bequest and funeral in Philodemus’ Index Academicorum (PHerc. 1021, col. 16, 37-45, col. S, 1-10), Rheinisches Museum für Philologie 161 (2018), pp. 155-165 (PDF).
• K. Fleischer, Zur Abstammung der akademischen Philosophen Melanthios von Rhodos und Metrodor von Stratonikeia (PHerc. 1021, Kol. 23,10-20), in: Archiv für Papyrusforschung 64 (2018), accepted for publication.
• K. Fleischer, Structuring the History of Philosophy – A Comparison between Philodemus and Diogenes Laertius in the Light of New Evidence, in: Classical Quarterly 69 (2019), accepted for publication.
• K. Fleischer, Philolaus’ book(s) in Philodemus’ Index Academicorum, in: C.Vassallo (ed.), Presocratics and Papyrological Tradition, Proceedings of the International Workshop held at the University of Trier, 22-24 September 2016, Berlin/Boston, forthcoming in 2019.
• K. Fleischer, Eine Verfeinerung von Speusipps einzigem Epigramm? Geschenke von und für Musen, in: Hermes 147 (2019), accepted for publication.
• K. Fleischer, The Academic Philosopher Charmadas of Alexandria: Uncovering His Origins, in: Atti del XVII Convegno di Egittologia e Papirologia (Siracusa, 28 Settembre - 1 Ottobre 2017), forthcoming in 2019.

• K. Fleischer, The circumstances of the death of Philo of Larisa – Towards a new edition of Philodemus’ Index Academicorum (PHerc. 1691/1021; 164), paper read during the 28th International Congress of Papyrologists, Barcelona, 1-6 August 2016.
• K. Fleischer, Zur Neuausgabe von Philodems Index Academicorum (PHerc. 1021). Diskussion von Kol. 21,1-15 (Lakydes-Vita), presentation held at the Gräzistisches Forschungskolloquium, University of Würzburg, 10 January 2017.
• K. Fleischer, Per una nuova edizione della Storia dell’Accademia di Filodemo. Conseguenze e prospettive per la nostra conoscenza della scuola di Platone, presentation held upon invitation of Prof. F. Ferrari at the Graduate philosophical seminar, Università di Salerno, 8 May 2017.
• K. Fleischer, Philodemus between Egypt and Sicily, paper read at the XVII Convegno di Egittologia e Papirologia, Siracusa (Italy), 28 September-2 October 2017.