Utrecht University researcher discovers forgotten fragment of Homer’s Odyssey

A researcher has discovered a tiny fragment of Homer’s “Odyssey” that had been forgotten for decades within a collection at Utrecht University Library in the Netherlands.

Mark de Kreij, a specialist in ancient Greek literature at Radboud University, identified the parchment while studying a collection of ancient Egyptian and Greek texts. The fragment, which measures approximately 6.6 by 7.7 centimeters, likely dates back to around 300 AD and appears to have been part of a “pocket edition” of the epic poem.

The text contains verses from Canto XII, describing the moment the sun god Helios discovers that Odysseus’s men have killed and eaten his immortal cattle. The discovery occurred during an analysis of paleochristian manuscripts acquired by the university in the mid-20th century.