postcard from the british museum

to: CP and SS
june 29, 09


thinking of you when i saw this line-up of greek philosophers in the british museum.they represent, from left to right: socrates, antisthenes (a cynic), chrysippos (a stoic), and epicurus. these are all roman copies of greek originals, and it is impossible to know if they resemble their subjects at all. two of these portraits were found in the library of a roman villa on the via appia (i forgot to note which two), dating from the late second or first century bce.

what better evidence of the continuity of western culture: scholars and students still reading their texts and debating their relevance now more than 2,000 years later. will the academics of another 2000 years from now still be thinking about these guys, and will they be hanging photographs of sartre and simone de beauvoir in their libraries? will there indeed be any academics in the year 4,000? or even anyone left of our species? who can imagine it?

as our friend pk says, 'isn't it all interesting?'

warm regards, as always, j