Fragments of a 1,700-year-old copy of Homer's "The Odyssey" were transported to New York for the cast of Christopher Nolan's cinematic retelling of the epic poem to view.
Professor Christopher Pressler, the librarian who undertook the journey with the ancient text, described the experience as akin to being on the set of "Mission Impossible." The fragments, housed at Manchester's John Rylands Library, were transported in a custom-made case. Pressler noted the immense responsibility of carrying "something of global importance" through JFK airport, stating, "we knew what was in this case but nobody else did."
The viewing offered what Pressler called "mind-blowing moments" for the cast. He reported that Nolan himself was "very moved" upon holding the fragile pieces of the ancient manuscript.
The fragments are believed to have been written in ancient Greek by an Egyptian scribe and his teacher, and they represent the oldest known version of "The Odyssey" arranged in a book format.
Nolan's adaptation of the classic epic features a cast including Matt Damon as Odysseus, Tom Holland as his son Telemachus, and Anne Hathaway as his wife Penelope. Robert Pattinson plays Antinous, one of Penelope's suitors, while Lupita Nyong'o takes on the roles of both Helen of Troy and her sister Clytemnestra.
