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For the first time, non-invasive technology has been used to recover a title from the ancient papyri from Herculaneum carbonised in the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Earlier this year, scans of the scroll in question, known as PHerc.172, found it to have much clearer ink than the other papyri studied to date (see CWA 130). Further examination of these scans has now identified the beginning of the work, at the centre of the still-wrapped scroll, revealing that the author is listed as Philodemus, and the title of the work is given as On Vices. This is a volume of Epicurean philosophy, the full title of which is known from other works to be On Vices and Their Opposite Virtues and In Whom They Are and About What. The research also suggests that the book number is recorded as ‘Book 1’.
However, this raises new questions, as the subject of the first book of On Vices was previously believed to be ‘On Flattery’, but this does not appear to correspond with the other text identified in PHerc.172 to date. Further research therefore has the potential to rewrite our understanding of this work. The duo who made the breakthrough have been awarded the $60,000 First Title Prize by the Vesuvius Challenge; prizes are still available for those able to decipher the titles of other scrolls.
Meanwhile, another major step was taken in April when the number of Herculaneum Scrolls scanned was quadrupled in a single, week-long session, taking the total from five to 25. These images are currently undergoing a reconstruction process, after which they will be released to the community for ink-detection and segmentation.
Text: Amy Brunskill / Images: © 2025 Vesuvius Challenge
