Iliad - Oldest Copy of the Iliad

Venetus A (Marcianus Graecus 454), the oldest copy of the Iliad, is being scanned and will be available through a creative commons non-commercial license.

Venetus A is in the Public Library of St. Mark, in Venice, Italy. According to Wired, before the robotic scanning project, the last time the Venetus A was photographed was in 1901. It is a 645-page 10th century parchment book and is the primary basis for all modern editions of the the Iliad. In addition to the text of the Iliad, the Venetus A contains scholarly commentary based on material written by scholars at the Library at Alexandria. Other editions of the Iliad include the 11th-century Marcianus Graecus Z. 453 and the 12-13th-century Marcianus Graecus Z. 458, according to the Center for Hellenic Studies.