A tiny fragment of parchment containing verses from Homer’s Odyssey has been identified in the collection of Utrecht University Library, offering a rare glimpse into the circulation of ancient Greek literature nearly 1,700 years ago.
The fragment, measuring just 6.6 by 7.7 centimeters, was identified by Dr. Mark de Kreij, a researcher in Greek literature at Radboud University, while studying ancient manuscripts from Greco-Roman Egypt. The discolored and damaged piece initially appeared unremarkable, but its small, carefully formed Greek letters caught de Kreij’s attention. He recognized wording characteristic of Homeric poetry and established that the fragment contains verses from Book 12 of the Odyssey.
The passage recounts a crucial episode in Odysseus’ journey. On the island of Thrinacia, his companions kill and eat the sacred cattle of Helios, the sun god, despite Odysseus’ warnings. When Helios discovers what has happened, he demands punishment from the other gods. Zeus then sends a devastating storm that destroys Odysseus’ ship and kills the remaining crew, leaving Odysseus alone.
The episode represents a major turning point in the epic and occurs roughly halfway through its 24 books. Utrecht University says only about 30 comparable ancient fragments of the Odyssey are currently known, underscoring the importance of the find for understanding how Homer’s works were transmitted and read in antiquity.
Researchers date the fragment to the third or fourth century BC and believe it originally formed part of a small codex — effectively a pocket-sized edition of the Odyssey. It may have belonged to a reader in Egypt around 300 BC. The fragment is written on both sides and is believed to have been separated from a larger manuscript at a later stage.
The discovery itself was made in 2024 but was publicly announced by Utrecht University in September 2026. De Kreij found it while working through the university’s collection of ancient manuscripts.
The discovery follows another unusual Homeric find in Egypt earlier this year. Researchers identified a fragment from Book II of the Iliad, the “Catalogue of Ships,” in the funerary context of a Roman-era mummy dating to about 1,600 years ago. The papyrus had been placed on the deceased during the embalming process.
Together, the discoveries offer fresh evidence of the varied ways Greek literary works circulated and were used in the ancient Mediterranean world, from compact copies apparently intended for private reading to texts incorporated into funerary practices.
