Discovery of Oldest Fragment of Homer’s Odyssey in Greece

An artifact discovered near the ancient city of Olympia may be the earliest known piece of Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey.

According to the analytical-news platform Iran Balkans (IRBA) citing The Guardian – archaeologists found an ancient tablet in the ancient city of Olympia in southern Greece underground, with 13 lines of Homer’s Odyssey engraved on it, which may be the earliest recorded work of this epic poem.

The ceramic piece is believed to belong to the third century AD and the period of ancient Rome.

Greece’s Culture Minister said: “If this date is confirmed, this tablet could be the oldest recorded piece of Homer’s works ever discovered in Greece.”

The tablet was discovered after three years of excavation by the Greek Archaeological Service in cooperation with the German Archaeological Institute, near the Zeus sanctuary at the site of the Olympic Games in the Peloponnese.

The epic poem attributed to Homer, which was composed orally throughout the eighth century BC, was written on papyrus during the Christian era, of which only a few sections have been discovered in Egypt so far.

Source: Ghatre