Table of Contents

Preface; List of abbreviations; Text and translation; 1. The find; 2. The first columns; 3. The reconstruction of the poem; 4. The interpretation of the poem; 5. The cosmic god; 6. Cosmology; 7. Anaxagoras; 8. Diogenes of Apollonia and Archelaus of Athens; 9. Physics and eschatology: Heraclitus and the gold plates; 10. Understanding Orpheus, understanding the world; Appendix: Diagoras and the Derveni author; Bibliography; Index verborum; Index of passages; Index of modern names; Index of subjects.

Promotional Information

A comprehensive and systematic reconstruction and analysis of the Derveni Papyrus, found in 1962.

About the Author

Gábor Betegh is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Central European University, Budapest.

Reviews

'Gabor Betegh has done a brilliant job. His book provides his readers with a Greek text and an intelligent translation that does not hesitate to go its own way ... Thanks to Betegh's careful and thorough book, an important text has finally become much more accessible ...' Times Literary Supplement 'This is the first book-length study of this text since 1997... Betegh has made a major contribution to understanding both the thought of the Derveni author and the Orphic poem.' Bryn Mawr Classical Review 'This is a remarkable book ... the debate Betegh's book stimulates as well as the answers he has given will inevitably lead to greater understanding of this puzzling text.' Rhizai 'The Derveni Papyrus is a rich text and ... there is no doubt that it will continue to prove controversial and hard to understand. But Betegh has given us a commentary that matches the text's richness.' The Heythrop Journal '... his work contributes greatly to unravelling its difficulties.' Common Knowledge