A manuscript of Samuel Butler’s translation of the ancient Greek poem, the Odyssey (Butler/II/3/4).

Samuel Butler was a man with big ideas and a big imagination. He wrote on literature, science, art and religion, always thinking outside the box and encouraging others to see things in new ways.

What is it?

A manuscript of Samuel Butler’s translation of the ancient Greek poem, the Odyssey (Butler/II/3/4). Butler’s translation was published as a book in 1900, though he had completed it by 1897. He’d already published a translation of Homer’s Iliad, and in this manuscript the red pencil markings and their notes identify passages in the original Odyssey that are copied from the Iliad.

Why is it so special?

Samuel Butler was a man with big ideas and a big imagination. He wrote on literature, science, art and religion, always thinking outside the box and encouraging others to see things in new ways. He rendered these ancient Greek poems into prose so that the widest possible audience could enjoy them. Butler came up with the controversial theory that the Odyssey was the work of a young woman, rather than by the famous poet Homer. He published a whole book on the subject, The Authoress of the Odyssey, which this translation was intended to accompany.

Can we see it?

The manuscript is just one item in the exhibition Interested in Everything: drawing inspiration from the collections of Samuel Butler, hosted by St John’s College Library for this year’s Festival of Ideas. The exhibition is open on Saturday 22 October, 10am−4pm, and entry is free.

Want to know more?

Visit the exhibition! You could also visit the St John’s College Library website, www.joh.cam.ac.uk/library/special_collections/, which will soon feature information and resources relating to the Samuel Butler Collection. If you have a specific query you can write to the Butler Project Associate (rew35@cam.ac.uk).

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