The Odyssey cast shown oldest book copy of Homer's epic poem

The John Rylands Library in Manchester recently completed a high-stakes transport operation to bring a rare historical treasure to the United States. Prof Christopher Pressler and Dr. Jeremy Penner traveled to New York with fragments of a 1,700-year-old copy of Homer’s The Odyssey. This artifact is the oldest existing version of the epic poem arranged in book form, known as a codex.

The fragments were acquired in Egypt in 1900 by Lord Balcarres and eventually entered the collection at the University of Manchester. The documents are fragile, having suffered water damage over the centuries, but researchers have preserved them using climate-controlled methods. The codex offers a unique look at ancient scribal habits, as visible corrections and notes from a second hand suggest a student or teacher once used the text for learning.

This trip coincided with the premiere of Christopher Nolan’s cinematic adaptation of the epic. The cast, including Matt Damon and Tom Holland, viewed the fragments during the promotional tour. Seeing the physical evidence of their characters’ origins left a distinct impression on the actors and the director.

Beyond its role in the film promotion, the codex highlights a pivotal moment in the history of literature and physical book design. While earlier fragments exist on papyrus rolls, this codex represents the transition to the book format that defines modern reading. The fragments are now back in Manchester and available for public viewing in the Collections Gallery at the library, allowing visitors to see the ancient parchment firsthand.