Met Museum Displays Oldest Known Fragment of Homer's Odyssey

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is exhibiting the oldest known fragment of Homer's Odyssey, a small papyrus piece dating from between 285 and 250 BC, now on view in Gallery 162 since August 5. The fragment contains three lines from Book 20 that are absent from modern editions of the epic, offering a rare glimpse into the textual fluidity of Homer's works before they were standardized. The papyrus, which can be viewed from both sides, allows visitors to examine its materiality, including the cross-hatched fibers that reveal ancient construction techniques. Séan Hemingway, the Met's curator of Greek and Roman art, called it 'the oldest preserved fragment of the Odyssey we have today.' The artifact originates from a period of intense intellectual expansion in Egypt under the Ptolemaic kings, when Homer was central to the collections of the Library of Alexandria. Hemingway noted that bards reciting the poems 'occasionally added elements and presented different versions of these stories,' explaining the existence of variant lines. The display coincides with renewed cultural interest in Odysseus's journey, fueled by Christopher Nolan's upcoming film 'The Odyssey.' The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is among other institutions focusing on Homer. The Met's presentation highlights the fragment's historical and material significance, inviting viewers to appreciate both its age and craftsmanship.