W1 Ancient

W1 Rosetta_Stone, Ancient LiteratureWriting is believed to have been invented in and around Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt during the Bronze Age at about the 30th century BC, with the earliest surviving texts dating W1 Roman_Forum_2, Ancient Literaturebetween the 27th-26th centuries BC.

Continuing through the Iron Age (around the 8th century BC) and into the early Christian era (about the 6th or 7th centuries AD), “ancient” writers of note emerged on practically every continent around the globe and included regional rulers and monarchs, soldiers, statesmen, politicians, poets, historians, philosophers, teachers and theologians of almost every religious tradition. It is from these early writings that much has been learned about the peoples, societies and governments of far-distant times in history.

 

Ancient Literature

The following authors in our database represent the Ancient Period of World Literature:

(Where appropriate, some authors or works of this period may be found in the Mythology, Fables and Folktales category of this collection)

AeschylusBook Icon (525 BC-455 BC) Laertius, DiogenesBook Icon (200s AD)
Al-Farabi, Abu NasrBook Icon (d. 950) Livy (Titus Livius)Book Icon (59 BC-17 AD)
Anonymous: Bhagavad-GitaBook Icon (1000 BC-700 BC) LongusBook Icon (100s AD)
Anonymous: MahabharataBook Icon (400s BC) LucianBook Icon (125 AD-180 AD)
Anonymous: The Epic of GilgameshBook Icon (c. 2000 BC) LucretiusBook Icon (99 BC-54 BC)
Anonymous: The UpanishadsBook Icon (500s BC) Nepos, CorneliusBook Icon (100 BC-24 BC)
AristophanesBook Icon (446 BC-386 BC) OvidBook Icon (63 BC-14 AD)
AristotleBook Icon (384 BC-322 BC) Paterculus, Marcus VelleiusBook Icon (19 BC-31 AD)
Boethius, AnciusBook Icon (480 AD-525 AD) PhilodemusBook Icon (110 BC-35 BC)
Caesar, JuliusBook Icon (100 BC-44 BC) PlatoBook Icon (428 BC-348 BC)
Catullus, Gaius ValeriusBook Icon (84 BC-54 BC) Plautus, Titus MacciusBook Icon (254 BC-184 BC)
Cicero, Marcus TulliusBook Icon (106 BC-43 BC) Pliny the ElderBook Icon (23 AD-79 AD)
ConfuciusBook Icon (551 BC-479 BC) Pliny the YoungerBook Icon (61 AD-112 AD)
Dio, CassiusBook Icon (155 AD-229 AD) PlutarchBook Icon (46 AD-120 AD)
EpictetusBook Icon (55 AD-135 AD) PolybiusBook Icon (200 BC-118 BC)
EpicurusBook Icon (341 BC-270 BC) SapphoBook Icon (630 BC-571 BC)
EuclidBook Icon (300s BC) Seneca, Lucius AnnaeusBook Icon (3 BC-65 AD)
EuripidesBook Icon (d. 406 BC) SophoclesBook Icon (496 BC-406 BC)
HammurabiBook Icon (1810 BC-1750 BC) SuetoniusBook Icon (70 AD-130 AD)
HerodotusBook Icon (484 BC-425 BC) TacitusBook Icon (56 AD-117 AD)
HomerBook Icon (1100-1200 BC) ThucydidesBook Icon (460 BC-395 BC)
Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus)Book Icon (65-68 BC) Tzu, SunBook Icon (544 BC-496 BC)
Josephus, FlaviusBook Icon (37 AD-100 AD) VirgilBook Icon (70 BC-19 BC)
Juvenal (Decimus Juvenalis)Book Icon (100s AD) XenophonBook Icon (444 BC-354 BC)
LactantiusBook Icon (240 AD-320 AD)

Click on any of the above names to open the corresponding biographical essay.

Click on the red book icon Book Iconto the left of any name in the list to access that author’s bibliography and our collection of direct links available for the associated titles as hosted by a wide variety of professional and academic Web sites.


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