University of Utrecht rediscovers 1,700-year-old Odyssey fragment

A 1,700-year-old fragment of Homer’s Odyssey has been rediscovered at Utrecht University after being misidentified for nearly seventy years. The small parchment piece, measuring approximately 6.6 by 7.7 centimeters, contains Greek writing on both sides and dates back to the 3rd or 4th century AD.

The fragment belongs to Book XII of the Odyssey and describes the episode where Odysseus’s companions sacrifice cattle dedicated to Helios, resulting in punishment from Zeus. Researchers believe the fragment originated from a Greek codex produced in Egypt around 300 AD, likely belonging to a reader in the Fayum region.

Mark de Kreij, a researcher from Radboud University Nijmegen, identified the text by comparing the Greek script with known editions of the Odyssey. The fragment was part of the Schmidt Collection, acquired by the university in 1956, but remained unnoticed due to inaccurate cataloging.