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The Library of the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum Paperback – September 12, 2005

by David Sider (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 9 ratings
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The eruption of Mt. Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii in A.D. 79 also buried nearby Herculaneum. Over time the location of the small town was forgotten. Shortly after its rediscovery in the 1730s, excavations--more likely treasure hunts--were organized that unearthed ancient sculptures that had survived the disaster. The richest finds were from a villa that came to be called the Villa dei Papiri, because it also yielded upward of a thousand papyrus rolls--the only library ever to have been recovered from the classical world. To the great excitement of contemporaries, the papyri held out the tantalizing possibility of the rediscovery of lost masterpieces by classical writers.
Written for the general reader, this introduction to the ancient library describes the long and difficult history of attempts to unwind the damaged rolls. Sider discusses the texts that have been deciphered and puts them in the context of literacy and Roman society of the time. He describes the how the ancient books were created from papyrus, and provides an account of attitudes toward books in Greece and Rome. He also surveys the private and civic libraries of the ancient world. This thoroughly researched and engaging book will be enjoyed by any reader with an interest in classical studies.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    132 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    J. Paul Getty Museum
  4. Publication date
    September 12, 2005
  5. Dimensions
    7.5 x 0.25 x 10 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0892367997
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0892367993
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Sider’s book, qua book, is a beautiful thing. . . . The story of the Villa—its discovery, the excavation, the personalities, the discovery of the papyri, more personalities, the technical difficulties—is a riveting one, and Sider sets up the narrative well.” ― Journal of Roman Archaeology

“This most welcome publication whets our appetite for further Greek and Latin treasures that may still lie buried in the unexcavated parts of the Villa. . . . May this attractive little book signal the dawn of a new era at the foot of the volcano.” ― The Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies, Vol. 126

“Professor Sider is an expert on the papyri from the villa and in this extremely informative book he describes the long and difficult history of attempts to unroll the papyri. . . . This is a fascinating book with a broad conspectus and explanation of this truly remarkable library.” ― Minerva Published On: 2006-11-01

“The vicissitudes of [the rolls’] discovery . . . are told here with verve and scholarly insight. . . . [Sider] has contributed an outstanding introduction to the subject which deserves to be widely read. It is beautifully represented.” ― Journal of Classics Teaching Published On: 2006-04-01

“Well written, with a pleasant mix of information and readability.” ― Bryn Mawr Classical Review

About the Author

David Sider is Professor of Classics at New York University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ J. Paul Getty Museum; First Edition (September 12, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 132 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0892367997
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0892367993
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.25 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

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David Sider

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
9 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

John Power
5.0 out of 5 stars Philodemus rises from the ashes
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2010
Verified Purchase
Many thanks to David Sider for presenting such a concise, beautifully illustrated overview of the Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum, and for setting the scene for a drama of excavation and translation that has only just begun!
The ancient world of Epicurean philosophy continues to live and evolve with the discovery of each new papyrus scroll; Sider explains very efficiently how the original library was unearthed two centuries ago -- and how its treasures continue to be revealed into the modern age through increasingly sophisticated deciphering and preservation technologies. The life and times of Philodemus, whose works dominate the collection unearthed so far, are articulated fairly and without excessive embellishment or speculation, certainly without idolisation (an easy trap!).
The library at Herculaneum remains one of the world's most tantalising time capsules, and Sider's book is a beautiful introduction to this archaeology of poetry and wisdom.
Highly recommended.
JP
Melbourne, Australia 2010
8 people found this helpful
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Allen C Tice
5.0 out of 5 stars First Rate
Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2013
Verified Purchase
Truth in reviewing: I count myself as a slight friend of the classical scholar, David Sider, and I own and consult Sider's knowledgeable translation of Philodemus for pleasure -- Philodemus is an important poet whose texts are associated with the Villa. Further, I own at least half a dozen other books from this publisher. Moreover, although I live in New York City, I belong to the Friends of Herculaneum Society (UK), and with them have visited the site and the currently accessible remains of the Villa dei Papiri.

My short review will be : the book is well-written, well illustrated, and almost everything one could want to have in an attractive format. Very positive. If you are new to the subject of Herculaneum or its Villa dei Papiri, this is fine place to start, and to smell the lava.
3 people found this helpful
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Luis Claudio Portugal do Nascimento
3.0 out of 5 stars Content improperly displayed by poor graphic design choices
Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2015
Verified Purchase
With all due respect to the author and other fellow reviewers, I expected a lot more from this book based on the raving commentaries on Amazon. The subject of Villa dei Papiri is in all respects ultra fascinating. However, according to my view, the book falls somewhat short from its mission, noticeably due to its graphic design presentation. Some photographs are very good, but some of them are of unacceptable quality in a fine book (for example, details of unrolled scrolls’ images are not minimally discernible, as they show up in print as a homogeneous black silhouette--and I have seen way, but way better pictures of such scrolls elsewhere). Furthermore, the size of the pictures is disappointingly small. The book itself is medium size and not particularly copious, far from being as large and as lavish as a coffee-table style book. But the worst part is the graphic design. Almost every page has about 40% of unused, wasted white space, for the sake I presume of creating some sort of “balanced compositions”, which could be utilized to make the pictures larger. Moreover, the typography is set in incredibly small font size. (Imagine some of the smallest typeface sizes you see in footnotes. Now, make it even one point smaller and be the actual size of the standard text format.) Content wise, the text is very informative. But I wished that, even in this regard, more pictures of the actual ruins of Villa dei Papiri were included. And also, whenever possible, side-to-side comparisons to the Getty Museum building in Malibu. Illustrations of the inner part of the rooms, with shelves and tables recreated, would also be of great help. Hopefully, the graphic design flaws will be addressed in a due new edition of this otherwise very important work on a highly fascinating theme.
11 people found this helpful
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Stephen J. Prosapio
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2008
Verified Purchase
With great photos and illustrations, this book is virtually coffee-table quality. The information is robust and well-researched. It takes a broad overview from the potential owners of the villa all the way through how the "papiri" were read.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Joanne McCrystal
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 9, 2013
Verified Purchase
I found this book invaluable for a project I was doing on the ancient texts at the Villa Dei Papiri.
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