The Derveni Papyrus, discovered accidentally in 1962, is the oldest known European "book." Papers in Poetry as Initiation address many open questions about the papyrus, including its authorship, the context of the peculiar chthonic ritual described in the text, and the relationship of the author and the ritual to the so-called Orphic texts.
The Derveni Papyrus, discovered accidentally in 1962, is the oldest known European "book." This book addresses many open questions about the papyrus, including its authorship, the context of the peculiar chthonic ritual described in the text, and the relationship of the author and the ritual to the so-called Orphic texts.