Roman era clay tablet containing verses from Homer’s Odyssey discovered in ancient Olympia
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Ancient Olympia is once again highlighted as a monument of world cultural heritage, the mayor of Ancient Olympia Efthymios Kotzas said in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, on the occasion of the recent discovery of a clay tablet, which contains 13 verses of a rhapsody in Homer’s “Odyssey”.
The clay tablet with an engraved inscription of 13 verses of a rhapsody in Homer’s “Odyssey” was discovered after three years of excavations in the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia.
According to a culture ministry announcement, initial estimates date the tablet to the Roman era, possibly before the 3rd century AD.
If the preliminary estimate of its age is confirmed then “the clay tablet would preserve perhaps the oldest extant written excerpt of the Homeric Epics that has been found, which besides it uniqueness is also a very important archaeological, literary and historical record”.
“Despite the fact that Ancient Olympia is a place with great history and great name, the discovery of this important archaeological find gives it even more value and can attract more visitors, supporting the development of the wider region,” Kotzas underlined.
Source: AMNA