UNC displays 500-year-old copy of "The Odyssey"

UNC-Chapel Hill is in possession of a very old, Renaissance-era copy of "The Odyssey," and the book is now on display in a campus library.

Why it matters: The ancient story's turn as a summer blockbuster has brought it back to the forefront of global culture, nearly 3,000 years after its debut.

Zoom in: The book in Carolina's possession is a rare 1517 edition printed by Aldus Manutius.

It's pocket-sized, something Manutius prioritized to ensure stories weren't lost to time, Eileen Dewitya, curator of the university's rare book collection, tells Axios.
She says Manutius wanted knowledge to be portable and widespread. He is credited with pioneering italicized text, as well as commas, semicolons and apostrophes in his Venice print shop.
Former UNC classics professor Eben Alexander previously owned the copy. His handwritten notes are visible throughout.

If you go: The book will remain on view until Thanksgiving.

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