PROJECTS OF THE IUA

The project is under the patronage of the Accademia Toscana di Scienze e Lettere 'La Colombaria' of Florence. It has as its aim a complete collection of Greek and Latin papyri of a philosophical character papyri in the widest sense, including writing on 'ostraca', tablets and parchment or vellum ; it is concerned with material dating from the 4th century B.C. to the 8th century A.D., with the exception of the Herculaneum papyri, although a complete index of these will be supplied in the first volume of the project. The project consists of four parts:

I. Known Authors (in several volumes):

1) The philosophers (in alphabetical order : Academici-Zeno)

In this section appear, amongst others, either the Testimonia Herculanensia, an index of the evidence of all names and works of the philosophers which appear in the Herculanean papyri, or those papyri which provide lists of works or names of philosophers.

2) Culture and philosophy (in alphabetical order : Acusilaus-Xenophon)

In this section, authors appear who have influenced the philosophical thought, or have been influenced by it, and whose theoretical considerations and terminology occupy a prominent position in the history of thought.

II. Anonymous fragments and sententiae
(in several volumes):

1. Textual fragments in chronological order, on the basis of the palaeographic classification of papyrus copies
2. Sententiae and pronouncements of known authors
3. Anonymous sententiae and pronouncements
4. Fragments whose inclusion within the philosophical field is doubtful
5. Fragments which, though not philosophical (e.g. being of astrological, medical or legal character), appear to have considerable importance for the reconstruction of the various points of time in the history of thought, especially because of the terminology used.

III. Commentaries

IV. 1) Index and lexicon
     2) Tables

The project is assured of the collaboration and the advice of numerous Italian and foreign scholars (25 or more) in the fields of papyrology, philosophy, philology, and palaeography. To ensure the best scholarship and expertise, experts in papyrology and in philosophy working in collaboration have been entrusted with the editing of many texts. The structure of the project and the editing of all the contributions are under the care of the Executive Committee and Editorial Committee consisting of F. Adorno, A. Carlini, F. Decleva Caizzi, M.S. Funghi, D. Manetti, M. Manfredi, F. Montanari.

Many who have made their contribution to the realization of the project are foreign collaborators, some of whom are preparing contributions. Others are putting their expertise in papyrology in the editing of the originals at the disposal of the project. Again others are helping with the unearthing of photographic or bibliographical materials.

The papyri taken into account in the project are preserved in many parts of the world. Largest relevant holdings are in the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford, the British Museum Library of London, the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek of Vienna, the Staatlichen Museen of Berlin, the Papyrussammlung in Heidelberg, the Bibliothèque Publique et Universitaire of Geneva, the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana and the Istituto Papirologico Vitelli of Florence, the Istituto di Papirologia of the University of Milan, and the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.

The project was adopted by the UAI in 1987 as a Category C project on the initiative of the Unione Accademica Nazionale and the Tuscan Academy of Sciences and Literature .

Directed by the Tuscan Academy of Sciences and Literature 'La Colombaria'. Director : F. Adorno, Femanda Declava Caizzi

Website of the project : http://www.colombaria.it/papiri.htm