One of our local universities is offering a new way to connect with an ancient classic.
Once you've spent your three hours watching Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, head over to Chapel Hill.
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A copy in ancient Greek that's over 500 years old is on display right now at UNC.
You can see the 1517 edition at Wilson Library.
It was printed by Aldus Manutius, a Renaissance-era publishing innovator.
Frank Borden Hanes Curator of the Rare Book Collection Eileen Dewitya explained, Manutius’ influence goes beyond the words on the page.
"He is the one who brought to us the colon, the comma, and the apostrophe, and he did so to help in the reading to make it less of a puzzle,” Dewitya said.
Dewitya says Manutius’ choice to create a pocket size edition is important, making the story more portable and accessible.
"This was something that Aldus Manutius was quite passionate about, sharing the original from the manuscript with the people,” she said.
The 1517 edition on display belonged to storied UNC Classics Professor Eben Alexander, who began teaching in 1886.
"He was named diplomat, a minister to Greece, Romania, and Serbia,” Dewitya said. “He went over to Greece, and while he was there, he was one of the people who helped to bring back the modern Olympics as we know it today."
UNC's rare book collection contains over 200,000 volumes.
Dewitya hopes to see more enthusiasts visit.
"This is an institution of the people, for the people, and so anyone can come in here,” she said. “This book has a lot of meaning to all of us here at the university."
Whether it's on the big screen with Matt Damon at the helm or in a 500 year-old book written in ancient Greek, every generation can journey through one of humanity's oldest stories on their own path.