Happy Twentieth of May, 2024

Happy Twentieth one and all!

Based on Kalosyni's poster, it looks like this month 20th is Oinoanda themed. Instead of wishing you all a happy one, I'll try to make it a bit happier than happy (for those interested in the inscription).

Please allow me to draw your attention to the article written by Martin Ferguson Smith himself where he meticulously presents last 50 (an then some more) years of the research conducted on the site in Oinoanda. If you decide to take a look, you'll find almost year by year summary of what has been found and what has been published regarding these findings. And to encourage you further, here are two excerpts from the conclusion of this fascinating article. One will make you smile, the other will make you frown.

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The number of fragments discovered has much more than tripled, from 88 to 305, and the quantity of text has more than doubled, from about 3,550 words to about 8,000. The length of the known parts of Diogenes’ inscription is now only slightly less than the combined length of Epicurus’ Letter to Herodotus, Letter to Menoeceus, and Principal Doctrines (Κύριαι Δόξαι) [...] (page 22)

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[...] I cannot help feeling some disappointment at the continuing lack of a major programme of excavation, clearing, and restoration. If such an operation were to be carried out, it would probably at least double the extent of the known text, and, although it would certainly present challenges, these would be much easier to surmount than any at Herculaneum, for Oinoanda is an uninhabited site, and, as the excavation in 1997 confirmed, the hidden treasure lies at no great depth. (page 22)

The article is publicly available in full at MFS website (starts at page 6):
http://www.martinfergusonsmith.com/pdf/CRONACHEERCOLANES.pdf