Introduction: Part and Whole in Antiquity.

This article explores the concepts of part and whole in antiquity, specifically focusing on the ancient Greek understanding of completeness and perfection. It discusses the ship of Theseus as an example of the metaphysical questions raised by the relationship between whole and part. The article also mentions the development of the discipline of philosophy called "mereology" in the twentieth century, which aims to define the semantic reach of the terms "part" and "whole." The article concludes by introducing a collection of papers presented at a conference on ancient mereology, showcasing new insights from young scholars in the field. [Extracted from the article]