1,700-year-old ‘Odyssey’ fragment found in book

A Greek literature professor stumbled upon an astonishing 1,700-year-old fragment of Homer's "The Odyssey" while conducting research in a Dutch university library. The fragment, measuring approximately 2.6 by 3 inches, was tucked inside a collection of early Christian manuscripts at Utrecht University. At first glance, the water-stained parchment appeared ordinary, but the lines of writing caught the professor's attention and revealed it to be a portion of the ancient epic.

The fragment contains a dramatic scene from the story of Odysseus, the Greek hero whose long journey home is central to Homer's epic. The passage involves Helios, the Greek sun god, and his sacred cattle. Circe, the sorceress, had previously warned Odysseus and his crew against harming the animals belonging to Helios. However, the sailors ignored the warning and ultimately killed and ate the sacred cattle.

When Helios discovered the theft, he demanded revenge, leading to a devastating storm sent by Zeus that killed all of Odysseus' sailors, except for Odysseus himself.

The discovery of this 1,700-year-old fragment is significant for several reasons. It not only adds to the existing 30 fragments of "The Odyssey" found, but it also sheds light on how the epic was circulated in the ancient world. The parchment was likely part of a small, portable edition of "The Odyssey" produced in Egypt's Fayum Oasis around 300 A.D., suggesting that the epic was being read and circulated in a compact format nearly two millennia ago.

The professor believes the fragment may have survived due to its protection by other pages within the manuscript, making it an anomaly among the many ancient fragments with less exciting content.