Ancient Fragment of Homer's Odyssey Discovered in Dutch Library

A nearly 2,000-year-old fragment of Homer's Odyssey has been discovered tucked away in a Dutch library book, offering a rare glimpse into ancient literature. The parchment, measuring approximately 2.6 by 3 inches (6.6 by 7.7cm), contains verses from Book 12 of the renowned Greek epic.

The discovery was made by Dr. Mark de Kreij, a Greek literature expert and professor at Radboud University, who was examining a collection of old Egyptian texts at Utrecht University Library. The fragment, written on both sides in small, neat letters, was initially overlooked as an unremarkable 7th-century piece before de Kreij recognized elements of Homer's writing.

Utrecht University stated that Book 12 details the pivotal moment when Odysseus's crew disobeys his orders and consumes the immortal cattle belonging to the sun god Helios. This act incites Helios's fury, leading him to appeal to Zeus for revenge, who then unleashes a storm that destroys Odysseus's ship and kills his companions. Experts consider this passage a critical turning point in the narrative, marking a low point in Odysseus's ten-year journey home and setting the stage for his eventual return to Ithaca.

The parchment is believed to have been part of a pocket-sized edition of the Odyssey, possibly owned by a fan of Homer around 300 AD. The discovery is considered remarkable, as only about 30 similar fragments of the Odyssey have been found to date.

This finding follows a similar discovery earlier this year, when a fragment of Homer's Iliad was found inside the gut of a 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy. This earlier instance marked the first time a Greek literary text had been incorporated into an ancient Egyptian embalming ritual. That fragment was located in a Roman-era tomb in Oxyrhynchus, an ancient city south of Cairo.