A researcher has uncovered a rare fragment of Homer's "Odyssey" while examining a collection of ancient Egyptian texts housed in a Dutch library. The fragment, dated to around A.D. 300, is believed to be part of a small, portable edition of the epic that was likely produced in Egypt. Mark de Kreij, a Greek literature expert and professor at Radboud University in the Netherlands, discovered the piece of parchment while studying early Christian manuscripts acquired by Utrecht University in the mid-20th century. The fragment, which measures about 2.6 by 3 inches (6.6 by 7.7 centimeters), contains verses from Book 12 of the "Odyssey," describing the consequences of Odysseus' men slaughtering and eating the sacred cattle of the sun god Helios. This discovery follows another unexpected find this year: papyrus fragments of Homer's "Iliad" were discovered inside a Roman-era mummy in Egypt. Both the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" are among the most famous works of ancient Greek literature. They were written in the late eighth or early seventh century B.C. and tell the story of the Trojan War and Odysseus' long journey home to Ithaca, respectively. The newly discovered "Odyssey" fragment is thought to have come from a parchment codex, or book, dating to the third or fourth century A.D., from the Fayum oasis in Egypt. Utrecht University notes that only about 30 similar fragments of Homeric texts have ever been found. De Kreij believes this fragment may have survived because it was located in the middle of a small, pocket-sized version of the "Odyssey," where it was protected by surrounding pages. It remains unclear how this fragment ended up in the university’s collection of ancient Egyptian texts. De Kreij first identified the fragment in 2024, and his comprehensive study of the Utrecht University library's collection of Greco-Roman texts from Egypt is set to be published soon. The book, titled "Hieratic, Demotic, Greek, and Coptic Texts in the Utrecht University Collection," will provide further insights into the historical and literary significance of these rare finds.