The project PLATINUM was aimed to offer a new, enhanced, multidisciplinary approach to Latin texts on papyrus in a bid to examine their potential and provide new insights into their philological, linguistic, literary, historical (both economic and social) and cultural contribution and value, so as to: (1) supply the scholarly community with an updated corpus and philological/linguistic/historical reference tool, the Corpus of Latin Texts on Papyrus (CLTP), 6 vols; (2) afford a new understanding of the textual transmission of Latin classics and seek to assess their impact in various parts of the Roman Empire; (3) make a significant contribution to our knowledge of practices used for learning Latin and for education in the language; (4) produce new research results with regard to linguistic aspects of diachronically marked Latin, particularly in multilingual contexts; and (5) promote knowledge of Roman history and culture.
Scrutinising Latin texts on papyrus from several points of view, the focus was on their substantial contribution to our knowledge of innovations in ancient Roman literature, language, history, and society, especially in the multilingual and multicultural contexts of the Eastern part of the Empire between the 1st BCE and 8th CE.
Coming mainly from Egypt and from the Ancient Near East, but also from the Western Roman Empire, Latin texts on papyrus definitely deserve more scholarly attention not only from papyrologists and paleographers, but also from scholars of Latin language, as well as intellectual and cultural historians of Rome. Latin papyri constantly increased in number through archaeological discoveries. The obsolete bibliography and the considerable number of unpublished texts made the study of Latin texts on papyrus a pioneering and challenging task.
Latin texts on papyrus have long represented a border-line field of study that has not been fully exploited by papyrologists, by scholars of Latin literature and linguistics, or by historians: PLATINUM changed this perspective, putting these texts under the spotlight of classicists, making it emerge their importance and role for culture.
A more thorough study activated an in-depth reflection on ancient multilingualism and multiculturalism. It also revealed the untapped potential of Latin texts on papyrus for renewing our knowledge of the circulation and reception of Latin language and education, as a cultural engine in Mediterranean societies.