Mysteries Department
Sign inRequest access
0

What do the still-sealed rolls contain?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·4 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: the sealed rolls mirror the opened ones; they are mainly Philodemus and other Epicurean worksAhead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Four answers have been proposed. The library held a wider philosophical collection, including Stoic and other works now lost, that the sealed… leads, with evidence 1 for: partly supported by its tests. Three are still possible. Of the one narrower question under it, none is answered yet.

Why it matters

The opened rolls are mostly Epicurean, much of it by Philodemus⁠[1]. Every title read so far from a sealed roll is by Philodemus except PHerc. 1667, which appears Stoic⁠[2]⁠[3].

Answers 4

Evidence: 1 for
Most likely
Evidence: 3 for
Most likely
Evidence: 1 for
Still possible
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible

History

  1. Sider puts forward: the sealed rolls mirror the opened ones; they are mainly Philodemus and other Epicurean works.
  2. Sider puts forward: a larger library, including much Latin literature, remains in unexcavated parts of the villa, so the…
  3. Sider: latin works are present among the opened rolls, and parts of the villa have never been excavated.For: A larger library, including much Latin literature, remains in unexcavated parts of the villa, so the…
  4. Vesuvius Challenge: the 2023 passages from PHerc. Paris. 4 discuss pleasure in Epicurean terms and are very likely by Philodemus.For: The sealed rolls mirror the opened ones; they are mainly Philodemus and other Epicurean works.
  5. Fine Books & Collections: pHerc. 172 is Philodemus, On Vices, Book 1.For: The sealed rolls mirror the opened ones; they are mainly Philodemus and other Epicurean works.
  6. Angelotti et al. puts forward: the library held a wider philosophical collection, including Stoic and other works now lost, that the sealed…
  7. Angelotti et al.: pHerc. 139 is Philodemus, On Gods, Book 8.For: The sealed rolls mirror the opened ones; they are mainly Philodemus and other Epicurean works.
  8. Angelotti et al.: pHerc. 1667 is an ethical treatise with Stoic vocabulary that names Aristocreon, Chrysippus's nephew and…For: The library held a wider philosophical collection, including Stoic and other works now lost, that the sealed…
  9. Asked on this site
Add evidence
1What it bears on2What you found3Where it comes from
Which answer?
Does it count for or against it?
In a sentence, what did you find?
What you found optional
Where it comes from optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Propose an answer
Your answer, in a sentence
What would rule it out? optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Ask a sub-question
Your question
Why it would help optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.
Add a source
The source
What it shows about this question optional
Two reviewers check it before it counts, one of whom backs a different answer. You'll hear back by email: accepted, needs changes, or a duplicate.

Discussion 0

Add to the discussion