An ancient fragment of Homer's "Odyssey" has been discovered in a university library in the Netherlands. The fragment, which was previously considered ordinary, has been dated to the 3rd or 4th century A.D. and is believed to have originated from a reader living in Egypt's Fayum oasis.
The discovery was made by Mark de Kreij, an assistant professor of Ancient Greek and Papyrology at Radboud University, while he was studying Greek manuscripts in the university's collection. The fragment contains verses from Book 12 of the "Odyssey", including the pivotal moment when the sun god Helios discovers that Odysseus' crew killed and ate his sacred cattle.
Researchers believe that the manuscript was a "pocket edition" of the complete epic, but some experts have questioned this interpretation. Anna Dolganov, a Roman historian and papyrologist, suggested that the fragment may have been an anthology or a private collection of excerpts from literary texts, rather than a complete copy of the epic.
The fragment is significant not only because of its age, but also because it is one of only a few like it in existence worldwide. There are approximately 30 fragments of the "Odyssey" known to exist, and this discovery is considered a major find in the field of classical studies.
De Kreij and other researchers are working to further analyze the fragment and determine its significance. The discovery highlights the importance of Homer's works in the ancient world, where they were widely used as school texts and played a significant role in education.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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