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Timeline of Classical Literature

Classical

  1. <p>Hymns, codes, instructions and laments</p>

  2. <p>Pyramid and coffin texts</p>

  3. <p>Original version of <a href="/literature/other/epic-of-gilgamesh"><em><strong>“The Epic of Gilgamesh”</strong></em></a> </p>

  4. <p><em>“The Story of Sinuhe”</em></p>

  5. <p><em>“Enuma Elis”</em>, <em>“Atra-Hasis”</em> and <em>“Eridu Genesis”</em> </p>

  6. <p><em>“Egyptian Book of the Dead”</em></p>

  7. <p><em>“Rigveda”</em> </p>

  8. <p><em>“The Tale of Two Brothers”</em> and <em>“The Story of Wenamun”</em></p>

  9. <p><em>“Yajurveda”</em>, <em>“Samaveda”</em> and <em>“Atharvaveda”</em> </p>

  10. <p><em>“Avesta”</em> of Zoroastrianism</p>

  11. <p><em>“I Ching”</em> manual of divination </p>

  12. <p><em>“Brahmanas”</em> and the early <em>“Upanishads”</em> </p>

  13. <p>Older parts of the <em>&quot;Old Testament&quot;</em> of the <a href="/literature/other/bible"><em><strong>“Bible”</strong></em></a>, including the <em>“Torah”</em></p>

  14. <p>Epic poems <a href="/literature/greece/homer/the-iliad"><em><strong>“The Iliad”</strong></em></a> and <a href="/literature/greece/homer/the-odyssey"><em><strong>“The Odyssey”</strong></em></a> of <a href="/literature/greece/homer"><strong>Homer</strong></a> and other Trojan War epic poems</p>

  15. <p>Didactic poetry of <a href="/literature/greece/hesiod"><strong>Hesiod</strong></a>, including <a href="/literature/greece/hesiod/theogony"><em><strong>“Theogony”</strong></em></a> </p>

  16. <p><em>“Mahabharata”</em> of Vyasa</p>

  17. <p>Lyric poems of <a href="/literature/greece/sappho"><strong>Sappho</strong></a></p>

  18. <p><a href="/literature/greece/aesop/fables"><em><strong>“Fables”</strong></em></a> of <a href="/literature/greece/aesop"><strong>Aesop</strong></a> </p>

  19. <p><em>“Four Books”</em> of Confucius</p>

  20. <p>Lyric poems and odes of <a href="/literature/greece/pindar"><strong>Pindar</strong></a></p>

  21. <p>Tragic plays of <a href="/literature/greece/aeschylus"><strong>Aeschylus</strong></a>, including <a href="/literature/greece/aeschylus/the-oresteia"><em><strong>“The Oresteia”</strong></em></a> and <a href="/literature/greece/aeschylus/the-persians"><em><strong>“The Persians”</strong></em></a></p>

  22. <p>Tragic plays of <a href="/literature/greece/sophocles"><strong>Sophocles</strong></a>, including <a href="/literature/greece/sophocles/antigone"><em><strong>“Antigone”</strong></em></a> and <a href="/literature/greece/sophocles/oedipus-rex"><em><strong>“Oedipus the King”</strong></em></a></p>

  23. <p>Tragic plays of <a href="/literature/greece/euripides"><strong>Euripides</strong></a>, including <a href="/literature/greece/euripides/medea"><em><strong>“Medea”</strong></em></a>, <a href="/literature/greece/euripides/the-trojan-women"><em><strong>“The Trojan Women”</strong></em></a> and <a href="/literature/greece/euripides/the-bacchae"><em><strong>“The Bacchae”</strong></em></a> </p>

  24. <p>Comic plays of <a href="/literature/greece/aristophanes"><strong>Aristophanes</strong></a> including <a href="/literature/greece/aristophanes/the-wasps"><em><strong>“The Wasps”</strong></em></a>, <a href="/literature/greece/aristophanes/lysistrata"><em><strong>“Lysistrata”</strong></em></a> and <a href="/literature/greece/aristophanes/the-frogs"><em><strong>“The Frogs”</strong></em></a> </p>

  25. <p><em>“Ramayana”</em> of Valmiki</p>

  26. <p>Comic plays of <a href="/literature/greece/menander"><strong>Menander</strong></a></p>

  27. <p>Epic poetry of <a href="/literature/greece/apollonius-of-rhodes"><strong>Apollonius of Rhodes</strong></a> including <a href="/literature/greece/apollonius-of-rhodes/the-argonautica"><strong>The Argonautica</strong></a> </p>

  28. <p>Comic plays of Plautus and Terence</p>

  29. <p>Lyric and elegiac poetry of <a href="/literature/rome/catullus"><strong>Catullus</strong></a> </p>

  30. <p>Epic and didactic poetry of <a href="/literature/rome/vergil"><strong>Vergil</strong></a>, including <a href="/literature/rome/vergil/the-aeneid"><em><strong>“The Aeneid”</strong></em></a> </p>

  31. <p>Lyric poetry and satires of <a href="/literature/rome/horace"><strong>Horace</strong></a> </p>

  32. <p>Didactic, elegiac and epic poetry of <a href="/literature/rome/ovid"><strong>Ovid</strong></a>, including <a href="/literature/rome/ovid/metamorphoses"><em><strong>“Metamorphoses”</strong></em></a></p>

  33. <p>Tragic plays and satires of <a href="/literature/rome/seneca-the-younger"><strong>Seneca the Younger</strong></a> </p>

  34. <p>Epic poetry of <a href="/literature/rome/lucan"><strong>Lucan</strong></a> </p>

  35. <p>Satires of <a href="/literature/rome/juvenal"><strong>Juvenal</strong></a> </p>

  36. <p>Letters of <a href="/literature/rome/pliny-the-younger">Pliny the Younger</a> </p>

  37. <p>New Testament of the Christian <a href="/literature/other/bible"><em><strong>“Bible”</strong></em></a> </p>

  38. <p><em>“Caedmon's Hymn”</em> </p>

  39. <p>Traditional date for Islamic <em>“Qur’an”</em> </p>

  40. <p>Epic poem <a href="/literature/other/beowulf"><em><strong>“Beowulf”</strong></em></a> </p>

Ancient Literature

ByAncient Literature

Created:January 1, 2025

Modified:October 29, 2024

Classical Literature: