A 1,700-year-old Greek fragment from Homer’s Odyssey has been identified in the special collections of Utrecht University Library in the Netherlands, where it had remained unrecognized for decades. The small piece of parchment contains verses from Book 12 of the ancient epic and dates to the third or fourth century A.D., according to Utrecht University.
The fragment measures about 2.6 by 3 inches, and is written on both sides in small Greek letters. Researcher Mark de Kreij of Radboud University recognized words associated with Homer while examining ancient manuscripts in the collection around 2024.
Further study showed that the text describes the moment the sun god Helios learns that Odysseus’ companions have killed and eaten his sacred cattle. Helios demands revenge, leading to the destruction of Odysseus’ ship and the deaths of his remaining crew.
Greek fragment from Homer’s Odyssey sat unrecognized for decades
Utrecht University acquired the fragment in 1956 as part of a collection once owned by German scholar Carl Schmidt. The collection included early Christian manuscripts and other ancient Egyptian and Greek texts. The parchment was initially regarded as an unremarkable fragment from the seventh century.
Researchers identified a Greek fragment from Homer’s Odyssey dating to about A.D. 300 in the collections of a Dutch university library. pic.twitter.com/rttR069qHg
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) September 18, 2026
Researchers now date it several centuries earlier. Utrecht University said the surviving page likely came from a small parchment codex, or bound book, produced around A.D. 300. The university has proposed that the complete volume may have been a portable copy about the size of a modern e-reader and connected to Egypt’s Fayum Oasis.
How the fragment entered Schmidt’s collection remains unknown. Library records do not provide a documented excavation site or continuous ancient provenance.
De Kreij told RTV Utrecht, “There are so many boring parts in the Odyssey.” He added: “This happens to be a really fun passage.”
Ancient Odyssey fragment moves from archive to headlines
Although de Kreij identified the text about two years ago, Utrecht University publicly announced the finding this month. The timing followed renewed interest in Homer after the release of Christopher Nolan’s film “The Odyssey.”
The fragment is one of only about 30 comparable examples from the period, according to the university. It is not the oldest surviving copy of the poem, but it provides rare physical evidence that Homer was still being copied and read in Roman Egypt centuries after the work was composed.
De Kreij is preparing a scholarly publication of Utrecht’s ancient Egyptian manuscripts. The planned volume will cover the university’s Hieratic, Demotic, Greek and Coptic texts.
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