Thirty previously unpublished verses by Empedocles discovered on a papyrus from Cairo
April 1, 2026
de Liege
edited by Stephanie Baum, reviewed by Robert Egan
Editors' notes
The GIST
Fragment of "The Empedocles of Cairo" (P. Fouad inv. 218). Credit: Université de Liège / N.Carlig
A 2,000-year-old papyrus fragment, discovered in the archives of the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo, reveals 30 previously unpublished verses by Empedocles, a pre-Socratic philosopher of the fifth century BCE. This discovery offers researchers direct access to a body of thought previously known only through quotations from later authors. The very first edition, translation, and commentary on these verses are published in the book "L'Empédocle du Caire," edited by Nathan Carlig, Alain Martin, and Olivier Primavesi.
It was at the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology in Cairo (IFAO) that Carlig, a papyrologist at the University of Liège, identified papyrus P. Fouad inv. 218 as an unknown fragment of the "Physica," the poem by the philosopher Empedocles of Agrigentum.
"Until now, our knowledge of Empedocles's work relied exclusively on indirect sources such as fragmentary quotations, summaries, or allusions scattered throughout the works of authors such as Plato, Aristotle, or Plutarch. Papyrus P. Fouad inv. 218 allows us to read the philosopher in his original text, without the intermediary of often partial or biased sources. It is also the only known copy of the 'Physica,' fragments of other parts of which from the same scroll are preserved in Strasbourg," states Carlig.
The text that has come to light deals with the theory of particle effluvia and sensory perceptions, particularly vision. Analysis of the text has revealed unexpected connections, including the probable direct source of a passage by Plutarch (second century CE), as well as a dialogue by Plato and a text by Theophrastus, a disciple of Aristotle, both from the fourth century BCE.
More:
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-previously-unpublished-verses-empedocles-papyrus.html
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