The Casket Homer
Preserved but no longer current.
An edition corrected by Aristotle, which Alexander the Great always carried about with him, and laid under his pillow at night with his sword. After the battle of Arbela, a golden casket richly studded with gems was found in the tent of Darius; and Alexander being asked to what purpose it shpuld^be assigned, replied, "There is but one thing in the world worthy of so costly a depository," saying which he placed therein his edition of Homer.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Casket Homer” mean?
An edition corrected by Aristotle, which Alexander the Great always carried about with him, and laid under his pillow at night with his sword. After the battle of Arbela, a golden casket richly studded with gems was found in the tent of Darius; and Alexander being asked to what purpose it shpuld^be assigned, replied, "There is but one thing in the world worthy of so costly a depository," saying which he placed therein his edition of Homer.
Is “The Casket Homer” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.