How are the ancient texts saved?

[Bereta_Eder]

Let's take Illiad for example.
How was it saved through time?
In what form? (papirus, book?)
Was it known throughout time and just recopied and recopied?
Is there anywhere an original text of it and ancient texts in general?

[MrFun]

They used bleach!!!!!!!!!!

[Bereta_Eder]

why they wanted to get blonde?
homer scolded such behavior.

[MrFun]

pssst . . . . . . .


Homer has been dead for over a thousand years.

[Bereta_Eder]

and see the results!

[Bereta_Eder]

seriously though, how?

[MrFun]

Oh -- if you're looking for serious answers, I guess I will bow out of this thread then.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by MrFun
pssst . . . . . . .
Homer has been dead for over a thousand years.

Over three thousand even, if he was ever alive.

Patikcakes, it was just copied down from old text to new. Fortunately, a couple of Homer's works survived the Christians' destruction of the Great Library and the dark ages.

[Bereta_Eder]

_it was just copied down from old text to new.


are you sure about that che? no offence but i take most of what you say with a grain of salt. i do think the same btw. i'm just not sure.

[Bereta_Eder]

oh and shame to theodosius and alarich for the library allas hellas was national and christianity was global.

[chequita guevara]

Well, originally, Homer's workers were passed orally. With the spread of writing, those would have been copied down on scrolls. At the very least they were archived in the Great Libraries in Alexandria. I don't know how old the old surviving Greek texts are, but it is highly unlikely that all copies were made from an "original."

Paper, papyrii, etc., are not terribly long-lasting, especially in most climates. Of the ancient texts we still have today, they are either carved in stone or were preserved in dry conditions.

Parchment has a bit longer life, and some of the ancient texts were discovered as palimpsets, i.e., books where the original writing was scraped off (incompletely) and new writing insterted. This is how ew have found one of Archimedies old works.

Everything else was either copied by Christian monks or by Muslim scholars. Most of the surviving works are thanks to the Arabs and Persians, as the Christians were rather anti anything that could be associated with paganism (though they had a love of Aristotle, for some reason).

And you shouldn't take what I say with a grain of salt. I am a modern font of knowledge and wisdom, even if it goes against the nationalist myths with which you've been indoctirinted.

[chequita guevara]

If I could go back in time, I would go to the Great Library and make copies of all the works there. Could you imagine being able to read and see the complete works of Sophicles and Aristophenes?

[Bereta_Eder]

I've seen you make mistakes before, repeadedly. But in this case I think you're probably right.

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
If I could go back in time, I would go to the Great Library and make copies of all the works there. Could you imagine being able to read and see the complete works of Sophicles and Aristophenes?

But if they were reproduced to some extend maybe there are still copies lying around to be discovered. Greek waters are the deepest in Europe and there are many shipwrecks who are yet un recovered. Some scholar could have been travelling with one and maybe had a book with him that was previously written with some copy of an uknown play or work. Although the sea would have most probably disolve it,
But still wherever there are digs to build new buildings many times something ancient comes up. For example an ancient theater in piraeus when one wanted to build a shopping mall some years ago.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Bereta_Eder
I've seen you make mistakes before, repeadedly.

Wrong. You think you've seen me make mistakes before, and only because those "mistakes" go against your Greek nationalist myths about the evil, evil Turks.