1,700-Year-Old Odyssey Fragments Flown to Nolan Cast
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- Manchester's John Rylands Library sent a 1,700-year-old fragment of Homer's Odyssey to New York in a bespoke case so the cast of Christopher Nolan's film could view it, with the carrier comparing the journey to "being on the set of Mission Impossible."
- Christopher Nolan and his family were "very moved" when viewing the fragments at the US premiere, and actor Tom Holland was "super interested" in the artifact, with cast members seeking where "the names of their characters were in the texts."
- The Manchester Odyssey is the oldest existing version of the poem arranged into a book form, written in ancient Greek by what is thought to be an Egyptian scribe and his teacher; a second person's hand can be seen correcting errors and adding breath marks.
- Prof Christopher Pressler, who carried the fragments through JFK, said it was "a huge responsibility carrying something of global importance," contrasting with his team's routine transport of high-value items.
- The fragments were acquired in Egypt by Conservative MP and art collector Lord Balcarres in 1900 and are preserved between sheets of glass due to water damage; the library partnered with Universal to bring the text to press calls for Nolan's film.
- Curator Dr Jeremy Penner drew the parallel between ancient and modern: "Christopher Nolan has re-invented Imax to make this film, so it's another leap in technology next to a very old leap in technology"; the fragments are now on public display in the John Rylands Collections Gallery.
Why it matters: For the John Rylands Library, transporting a 1,700-year-old artifact to New York under armed-curator escort represents a rare fusion of academic heritage and blockbuster marketing — the manuscript itself has had "an odyssey, from Roman Egypt, to being in the centre of Manchester." Now on public display after the film's release, the library can convert Nolan's $264M global opening buzz into foot traffic and renewed interest in the Homeric source.
