Papyrus on the Pyre

Betegh, Gábor (2002) Papyrus on the Pyre. Acta Antiqua, 42 (1-4). pp. 51-66. ISSN 0044-5975

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Abstract

The paper examines the possible interrelations between the archeological context of the Derveni papyrus and the physical and eschatological doctrines held by its author. On the basis of a brief survey of the archeological data and the comparative material, Betegh argues that the placement of the papyrus is not by chance and that it probably had a role in the ritual. In the next step, he summarises the main results of a reconstruction of the physics and cosmology of the Derveni author, and raises the problem of the connection between the eschatological theme of the first six columns and the physics and cosmic theology of the remainder of the text. Finally, he suggests that the common denominator of all these themes, doctrines and lores is the fire with its cosmological and eschatological role. In this respect, an important claim of the Derveni author could be that the ultimate cosmological and eschatological principle is not fire, as e.g., for Heraclitus, quoted in the papyrus, but fire - in the form of the celestial bodies, the thunderbolt of Zeus, or the funeral pyre - is the instrument with the help of which the intelligent and divine air maintains cosmic order and divine justice.

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