Oldest copy of Homer’s Odyssey in book form joins Christopher Nolan's film press tour

ByMIRIAM SELA-EITAMJULY 24, 2026 08:04The earliest surviving example of Homer’s Odyssey in book form joined the cast of Christopher Nolan’s cinematic adaptation of the Greek epic on their press junket ahead of the film’s release.The Manchester Odyssey dates back to the third century BCE in Egypt, around the time scrolls went out of fashion and “bound” books became more popular.It was copied down in the form of a codex, using folded sheets of parchment to create pages. The book numbers, carefully copied down by an ancient Egyptian scribe, are still visible on the parchment.The surviving fragments include sections from Books 12-15 and Books 18-24.Books 12-15 detail Odysseus’s journey past Scylla and Charybdis, Poseidon's rage at the Phaeacians for aiding Odysseus, his arrival in Ithaca, and Telemachus’s return from Sparta. Greek P53 fragment - The Manchester Odyssey by The John Rylands Library on SketchfabBooks 18-24 tell of Odysseus’s arrival at the palace, his plot with Telemachus to disarm the suitors, Penelope’s test, and the final reveal.The John Rylands Library, which houses the manuscript, pointed out that the fragments bear evidence of a second ancient reader contributing to the text, going through to correct mistakes and add in missing text.Preserving The Manchester OdysseyConservation of The Manchester Odyssey, however, did not begin with John Rylands Library.In 1900, Lord Balcarres, who at the time owned The Manchester Odyssey, had written to his librarian after noticing that the center of the manuscript had “nearly all rotted away from damp,” according to the library.To prevent further deterioration of this priceless artifact, each surviving page was placed between two sheets of glass.Today, The John Rylands Library’s Collection Care team, alongside colleagues from the University of Manchester, is continuing to study and preserve the surviving fragments.Using high-resolution digital imaging, researchers can document the manuscript’s text and surface features, as well as any damage to the parchment that needs to be repaired, while reducing the need to handle the copy itself.Parts of the codex are also being recorded using Factum Foundation's Selene photometric stereo system.Conservation of The Manchester Odyssey is funded in part by the UK’s National Manuscripts Conservation Trust (NMCT).Nolan’s The Odyssey opened in theaters on Friday, July 17.It features Matt Damon as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, Tom Holland as Telemachus and Zendaya as Athena.Now that the junket has ended, the parchment manuscript has returned to its display at The John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester.Follow us on Google