Ancient 'Odyssey' Fragment Found in Dutch Library, Offers Glimpse into Homeric Study

A seemingly unremarkable ancient fragment, discovered in the Special Collections of Utrecht University in the Netherlands, has been identified as a rare piece of Homer's "Odyssey." The papyrus fragment, believed to date from the 3rd or 4th century AD, contains verses from Book 12 of the epic poem.

Assistant Professor Mark de Kreij of Radboud University came across the fragment while examining Greek manuscripts. He noted that the fragment had initially been stored with Coptic Christian manuscripts, which likely contributed to it being overlooked in earlier research. When de Kreij encountered it, the fragment had been moved to a box of Greek manuscripts.

The university stated that the fragment was initially considered ordinary, but de Kreij recognized Homeric phrases within the small, neat lettering. The text includes passages detailing the discovery by the sun god Helios that Odysseus' crew had killed and eaten his sacred cattle, leading Helios to demand vengeance from Zeus.

Researchers suggest the manuscript may have belonged to a reader in Egypt's Fayum oasis, southwest of modern-day Cairo. The discovery is significant because such fragments are rare, with only about 30 similar ones known worldwide, according to Utrecht University.

However, some experts, like Roman historian and papyrologist Anna Dolganov of the Austrian Archaeological Institute, have raised questions about the fragment's original context. Dolganov suggested that a complete copy of the "Odyssey," which would require approximately 480 pages, might be unlikely in such a small format, considering the thickness it would entail. She also pointed to the handwriting as potentially more casual and cursive than what would be expected for a complete literary work, proposing it might be from an anthology or a collection of excerpts for educational purposes rather than the entire epic.

De Kreij countered that the text on both sides of the parchment, containing nearly contiguous passages from Book 12, supports the idea that it came from a complete copy of the epic. He acknowledged that an anthology is theoretically possible but noted the lack of similar examples from the period, while complete copies of Homer's works have numerous parallels.

Dolganov highlighted the historical significance of Homer's works, which were widely used for teaching Greek throughout the Mediterranean world. She also noted the inherent difficulty in precisely dating ancient manuscripts, especially when relying on handwriting. "It doesn't need to be, to be a very interesting and exciting discovery," she said.

De Kreij explained that the dating is based on multiple factors, including the codex format, parchment material, ink, and handwriting, with parallels suggesting a late third to fourth-century origin. Both scholars agreed on the fragment's value in connecting modern readers to ancient ones through a shared appreciation of the literary work.