Xenophanes in the Herculaneum Papyri. Praesocratica Herculanensia IV

The paper examines in a systematic way the Herculanean texts where the name of this Presocratic or a more or less explicit reference to his thought or writings appear. Some important testimonia in the corpus of Philodemus’ works stand out: in particular, three fragments of PHerc. 327, a roll that, beginning with Crönert, has been assigned to the “Survey of Philosophers” (Σύνταξις τῶν φιλοσόφων); fr. 12 Schober of PHerc. 1428, a passage of Philodemus’ “On Piety” till now totally neglected in studies of Xenophanes’ theology and scepticism; fr. 23 Janko of PHerc. 207, belonging to Book 4 of the work “On Poems”; finally, fr. 16 Sudhaus of PHerc. 1015, containing one of the books (probably Book 8) of the multi-volume treatise “On Rhetoric” of the Epicurean philosopher, where however the reading of Xenophanes’ name remains very uncertain.