Science
Researcher finds 1,700-year-old 'Odyssey' manuscript fragment in university library
A rare fragment of Homer's epic poem was found inside a library book, according to CBS News.
The short version
- A researcher examining early Christian manuscripts at Utrecht University discovered a 1,700-year-old fragment of Homer's 'Odyssey' inside a library book.[CBS News]
- The playing-card-sized manuscript snippet dates to around 300 AD and contains Greek text from the 12th book of the epic poem.[CBS News]
- Only about 30 similar fragments of the text exist worldwide, according to university researchers.[CBS News]
Key facts
- Dr. Mark de Kreij identified the 1,700-year-old 'Odyssey' fragment while studying a mid-20th century collection of Christian manuscripts at Utrecht University.[CBS News]
- Researchers dated the fragment to approximately 300 AD and believe it belonged to a pocket edition owned by someone in Egypt's Faiyum oasis.[CBS News]
- The playing-card-sized fragment contains double-sided Greek text from Book 12 describing Odysseus's sailors eating sacred cattle.[CBS News]
- Only around 30 such fragments of the 'Odyssey' are known to exist globally.[CBS News]
What remains uncertain
- Initial research tentatively placed the manuscript fragment in the 7th century before further examination dated it to roughly 300 AD.[CBS News]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.