---
title: Ancient Greek Literature
author: Donald L. Wasson
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Literature/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)
updated: 1970-01-01
---

# Ancient Greek Literature

_Authored by [Donald L. Wasson](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/DWasson/)_

[Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) [literature](https://www.worldhistory.org/literature/) has influenced not only its [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) neighbors to the west but also countless generations across the European continent. Greek writers are responsible for the introduction of such genres as poetry, tragedy, comedy, and western [philosophy](https://www.worldhistory.org/philosophy/) to the world. These Greeks authors were born not only on the soil of their native [Greece](https://www.worldhistory.org/greece/) but also in [Asia Minor](https://www.worldhistory.org/Asia_Minor/) ([Ionia](https://www.worldhistory.org/ionia/)), the islands of the [Aegean](https://www.worldhistory.org/aegean/), [Sicily](https://www.worldhistory.org/sicily/), and southern [Italy](https://www.worldhistory.org/italy/).

### Themes

The Greeks were a passionate people, and this zeal can be seen in their literature. They had a rich history of both [war](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/War/) and peace, leaving an indelible imprint on the [culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/culture/) and people. Author and historian Edith Hamilton believed that the spirit of life abounds throughout Greek history. In her *The Greek Way* she wrote,

> Greek literature is not done in gray or with a low palette. It is all black and shining white or black and scarlet and [gold](https://www.worldhistory.org/gold/). The Greeks were keenly aware, terribly aware, of life's uncertainty and the imminence of [death](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Death/). Over and over again they emphasize the brevity and the failure of all human endeavor, the swift passing of all that is beautiful and joyful. \[...\] Joy and sorrow, exultation and tragedy, stand hand in hand in Greek literature, but there is no contradiction involved thereby. (26)

To fully understand and appreciate Greek literature one must separate it, divide the oral epics from the tragedies and comedies as well as the histories from the philosophies. Greek literature can also be divided into distinct periods: [Archaic](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Archaic/), Classical, and [Hellenistic](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hellenic_World/). The literature of the Archaic era mostly centered on myth; part history and part folklore. [Homer](https://www.worldhistory.org/homer/)'s epics of the *[Iliad](https://www.worldhistory.org/iliad/)* and the *[Odyssey](https://www.worldhistory.org/Odyssey/)* and [Hesiod](https://www.worldhistory.org/hesiod/)'s *[Theogony](https://www.worldhistory.org/Theogony/)* are significant examples of this period. Literary Greece begins with Homer. Since [writing](https://www.worldhistory.org/writing/) had not yet arrived in Greece, much of what was created in this period was communicated orally, only to be put in written form years later.

The Classical era (4th and 5th centuries BCE) centered on the tragedies of such writers as [Sophocles](https://www.worldhistory.org/sophocles/) and his *[Oedipus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Oedipus_the_King/) Rex*, [Euripides](https://www.worldhistory.org/Euripides/)'s *[Hippolytus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hippolytus/)*, and the comedies of [Aristophanes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Aristophanes/). Lastly, the final period, the Hellenistic era, saw Greek poetry, prose, and culture expand across the [Mediterranean](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/mediterranean/) influencing such Roman writers as [Horace](https://www.worldhistory.org/Horace/), [Ovid](https://www.worldhistory.org/ovid/), and [Virgil](https://www.worldhistory.org/virgil/). Unfortunately, with only a few exceptions, much of what was created during the Archaic and Classical period remains only in fragments.

### [Archaic Period](https://www.worldhistory.org/Archaic_Period/)

During the Archaic period, the poets' works were spoken - an outcome of an oral tradition - delivered at festivals. A product of Greece's Dark Ages, Homer's epic the *Iliad* centered on the last days of the [Trojan War](https://www.worldhistory.org/Trojan_War/), a war initiated by the love of a beautiful woman, [Helen](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Helen/). It brought an array of heroes such as [Achilles](https://www.worldhistory.org/achilles/), Hector, and [Paris](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/paris/) to generations of Greek youth. It was a poem of contrasts: gods and mortals, divine and human, war and peace. [Alexander the Great](https://www.worldhistory.org/Alexander_the_Great/) slept with a copy of the book under his pillow and even believed he was related to Achilles.

[ ![Homer](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/1244.jpg?v=1765308069) Homer Mark Cartwright (CC BY-NC-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/1244/homer/ "Homer")Homer's second work, the *Odyssey,* revolved around the ten-year “odyssey” of the Trojan War hero [Odysseus](https://www.worldhistory.org/odysseus/) and his attempt to return home. While most classicists and historians accept that Homer actually lived, there are some who propose his epics are the result of more than one author. Whether his or not, Homer's works would one day greatly influence the Roman author Virgil and his *[Aeneid](https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Aeneid/)*. After Homer, lyric poetry - poetry to be sung - came into its own.

There were many others who ”wrote” during this period, among them were Aesop, Hesiod, and [Sappho](https://www.worldhistory.org/Sappho_of_Lesbos/). The noted storyteller Aesop may or may not be the great fabulist of the ancient world. Professor and classicist D. L. Ashilman in his introduction to the book *Aesop's Fables*, wrote, "Aesop may not be a historical figure but rather a name that refers to a group of ancient storytellers." Convention claims that he was born a slave around 620 BCE in Asia Minor. After he received his freedom, he traveled throughout Greece collecting stories, including *The Mischievous Dog*, *The Lion and the Mouse*, and *The Monkey as King*. These stories often ended (not always happily) with a moral such as honesty is the best policy, look before you leap, heaven helps those who help themselves, and once bitten, twice shy. Written down years after his death, Aesop's fables were among the first printed works in vernacular English.

Another poet of the Archaic Period was Hesiod, the author of *Theogony,* a hymn to [Apollo](https://www.worldhistory.org/apollo/)'s [Muses](https://www.worldhistory.org/muse/). He has been called the father of didactic poetry. Like Homer, little is known of his early life except that he came from Boeotia in central Greece. *Theogony* told of the origins and genealogies of the gods, the kingdom of [Zeus](https://www.worldhistory.org/zeus/). Hesiod wrote:

> With the Heliconian Muses let us start 
> Our song: they hold the great and godly mount 
> of Helicon, and on their delicate feet 
> They dance around the darkly bubbling spring 
> And round the altar of the mighty Zeus. (23)

Later in the poem, he said:

> Hail, daughters of Zeus 
> Give me sweet song 
> To celebrate the holy race of gods 
> Who live forever, sons of starry Heaven 
> And Earth, and gloomy Night, and salty Sea. (26)

His others works include *[Works and Days](https://www.worldhistory.org/Works_and_Days/)*, *The Shield of [Herakles](https://www.worldhistory.org/hercules/)*, and *Catalogue of [Women](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/women/).*

Lastly, one of the few female lyric poets of the period was Sappho, often called the tenth [Muse](https://www.worldhistory.org/muse/). Born on the Aegean island of [Lesbos](https://www.worldhistory.org/lesbos/), her poems were hymns to the gods and influenced such Romans poets as Horace, [Catullus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Catullus/), and Ovid. Much of her poetry remains in fragments or quoted in the works of others.

### Classical Period

Oral recitation of poetry, as well as lyric poetry, morphed into drama. The purpose of drama was to not only entertain but also to educate the Greek citizen, to explore a problem. Plays were performed in outdoor theaters and were usually part of a religious festival. Along with a chorus of singers to explain the action, there were actors, often three, who wore masks. Of the known Greek tragedians, there are only three for whom there are complete plays: [Aeschylus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Aeschylus/), Sophocles, and Euripides. Oddly, these are considered among the great tragic writers of the world. Hamilton wrote:

> The great tragic artists of the world are four, and three of them are Greek. It is in tragedy that the pre-eminence of the Greeks can be seen most clearly. Except for Shakespeare, the great three, Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides stand alone. Tragedy is an achievement peculiarly Greek. They were the first to perceive it and they lifted it to its supreme height. (171)

Aeschylus (c. 525 - c. 456 BCE) was the earliest of the three. Born in [Eleusis](https://www.worldhistory.org/Eleusis/) around 525/4 BCE, he fought at the [Battle](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/battle/) of [Marathon](https://www.worldhistory.org/marathon/) against the Persian invaders. His first play was performed in 499 BCE. His surviving works include *Persians*, *[Seven Against Thebes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Seven_Against_Thebes/)*, *[Suppliants](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Suppliants/)* (a play that beat out Sophocles in a competition), *[Prometheus Bound](https://www.worldhistory.org/Prometheus_Bound/)*, *Oresteia.* Part of the *Oresteia* trilogy, his most famous work was probably *[Agamemnon](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Agamemnon/),* a play centering on the return of the Trojan War commander to his wife Clytemnestra, who would eventually kill him. After killing her husband she showed little remorse, she said

> This duty is no concern of yours. 
> He fell by my hand, 
> by my hand he died, and by my hand 
> he will be buried, and nobody 
> in the house will weep. (99)

Most of Aeschylus's plays were centered on Greek myth, portraying the suffering of man and the justice of the gods. His works were among the first to have a dialogue between the play's characters.

Sophocles (c. 496 - c. 406 BCE) was the second of the great tragic playwrights. Of his 120 plays performed in competition, only 20 were victorious, losing far too many to Aeschylus. Only three of his seven surviving plays are complete. His most famous work, part of a trilogy, is *Oedipus Rex* or *[Oedipus the King](https://www.worldhistory.org/Oedipus_the_King/)*, a play written 16 years after first of the three, *[Antigone](https://www.worldhistory.org/Antigone/),* a play about Oedipus' daughter. The third in the series was *[Oedipus at Colonus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Oedipus_at_Colonus/),* relaying the final days of the blinded king. The tragedy of Oedipus centered on a prophecy that foretold of a man who would kill the king (his father) and marry the queen (his mother). Unknowingly, that man was Oedipus. However, the tragedy of the play is not that he killed his father and married his mother but that he found out about it; it was an exploration of the tragic character of a now blinded hero.

[ ![Bust of Sophocles](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/6019.jpg?v=1745050989) Bust of Sophocles Jade Koekoe (CC BY-NC-SA) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/6019/bust-of-sophocles/ "Bust of Sophocles")The third great author of [Greek tragedy](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Tragedy/) was Euripides, an Athenian (c. 484 - 407 BCE). Unfortunately, his plays - often based on myth - were not very successful at the competitions; his critics often believe he was bitter about these losses. He was the author of 90 plays, among which are *Hippolytus*, *Trojan Women*, and *Orestes*. Euripides was known for introducing a second act to his plays, which were concerned with kings and rulers as well as disputes and dilemmas. He died shortly after traveling to [Macedon](https://www.worldhistory.org/macedon/) where he was to write a play about the king's coronation. His play *[Medea](https://www.worldhistory.org/Medea/)* speaks of a bitter woman who took revenge against her husband by killing her children. In pain Medea screams:

> O great [Themis](https://www.worldhistory.org/Themis/) and lady [Artemis](https://www.worldhistory.org/artemis/), do you see what I suffer, though I bound my accursed husband by weighty oaths? How I wish I might see him and his bride in utter ruin, house and all, for the wrongs they dare to inflict on me who never did them harm. (55)

Another playwright of the era was the Athenian author of [Greek comedy](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Comedy/), Aristophanes (c. 450? - c. 386 BCE). Author of Old Comedy, his plays were satires of public persons and affairs as well as candid political criticisms. Eleven of Aristophanes' plays have survived along with 32 titles and fragments of others. His plays include *Knights*, *[Lysistrata](https://www.worldhistory.org/Lysistrata/)*, *[Thesmophoriazusae](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thesmophoriazusae/), [The Frogs](https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Frogs/),* and *[The Clouds](https://www.worldhistory.org/The_Clouds/)*, a play that ridiculed the philosopher [Socrates](https://www.worldhistory.org/socrates/) as a corrupt teacher of rhetoric. His actors often wore grotesque masks and told obscene jokes. Many of his plays had a moral or social lesson, poking fun at the literary and social life of [Athens](https://www.worldhistory.org/Athens/).

### [Greek philosophers](https://www.worldhistory.org/collection/118/the-greek-philosophers/) & Historians

Among the major contributors to Greek literature were the philosophers, among them [Plato](https://www.worldhistory.org/plato/), [Aristotle](https://www.worldhistory.org/aristotle/), [Epictetus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Epictetus/), and [Epicurus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Epicurus/). One of the most influential Greek philosophers was Plato (427-347 BCE). As a student of Socrates, Plato's early works were a tribute to the life and death of his teacher: *Apology*, *Crito*, and *Phaedo*. He also wrote *[Symposium](https://www.worldhistory.org/Symposium/)*, a series of speeches at a dinner party. However, his most famous work was *The Republic,* a book on the nature and value of justice.

His student, Aristotle (384-322 BCE), disagreed with Plato on several issues, mainly the concept of empiricism, the idea that a person could rely on his/her senses for information. His many works include *Nichomachean Ethics* (a treatise on ethics and morality), *Physics,* and *Poetics*. He was the creator of the syllogism and a teacher of [Alexander](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Alexander/) the Great.

[ ![Aristotle Bust, Palazzo Altemps](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/877.jpg?v=1744190287) Aristotle Bust, Palazzo Altemps SquinchPix.com (Copyright) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/877/aristotle-bust-palazzo-altemps/ "Aristotle Bust, Palazzo Altemps")A final group of contributors to ancient Greek literature are the historians: [Herodotus](https://www.worldhistory.org/herodotus/), [Thucydides](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thucydides/), and [Polybius](https://www.worldhistory.org/Polybius/). Both Herodotus (484 – 425 BCE) and Thucydides (460 – 400 BCE) wrote around the time of the Peloponnesian Wars. Although little is known of his early life, Herodotus wrote on both the wars between Athens and neighboring [Sparta](https://www.worldhistory.org/sparta/) as well as the [Persian Wars](https://www.worldhistory.org/Persian_Wars/). During his lifetime, his home of [Halicarnassus](https://www.worldhistory.org/halicarnassus/) in western Asia Minor was under Persian control. Although he is often criticized for factual errors, his accounts relied on earlier works and documents. His narratives demonstrate an understanding of the human experience and unlike previous writers, he did not judge. He traveled extensively, even to [Egypt](https://www.worldhistory.org/egypt/).

His contemporary, Thucydides, was the author, although incomplete, of a *History of the [Peloponnesian War](https://www.worldhistory.org/Peloponnesian_War/)*. Part of his history was written as it happened and looked at both long-range and short-range causes of the war. His massive unfinished work would be completed by such Greek authors as [Xenophon](https://www.worldhistory.org/xenophon/) and Cratippus.

### [Hellenistic Period](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hellenistic_Period/)

The Hellenistic period produced its share of poets, prose writers, and historians. Among them were Callimachus, his student Theocritus, Apollonius Rhodius, and the highly respected historian [Plutarch](https://www.worldhistory.org/plutarch/). Unfortunately, like the previous eras, much of what was written remains only in fragments or quoted in the works of others.

The poet Callimachus (310 – 240 BCE) was originally from [Cyrene](https://www.worldhistory.org/cyrene/) but migrated to Egypt and spent most of his life in [Alexandria](https://www.worldhistory.org/alexandria/), serving as a librarian under both [Ptolemy II](https://www.worldhistory.org/Ptolemy_II_Philadelphus/) and III. Of his over 800 books, 6 hymns, and 60 epigrams, only fragments remain. His most famous work was *Aetia* (*Causes*), which revealed his fascination for the great Greek past, concentrating on many of the ancient myths as well as the old cults and festivals. His work heavily influenced the poetry of Catullus and Ovid's *Metamorphoses*.

[ ![Aetia by Callimachus](https://www.worldhistory.org/img/r/p/500x600/7399.jpg?v=1727011865) Aetia by Callimachus The Egypt Exploration Society (Public Domain) ](https://www.worldhistory.org/image/7399/aetia-by-callimachus/ "Aetia by Callimachus")His pupil Theocritus (315 – 250 BCE) originally from [Syracuse](https://www.worldhistory.org/syracuse/) also worked in the library at Alexandria, producing a number of works of which only 30 poems and 24 epigrams exist. He is said to be the originator of pastoral poetry. Like his teacher, his work influenced future Roman authors such as Ovid.

Apollonius Rhodius (born c. 295 BCE) was, like the others, from Alexandria, serving as both a librarian and tutor. Historians are unsure of the origin of the “Rhodius” attached to his name; some assume he lived for a time in [Rhodes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Rhodes/). His major work was the four books of the *Argonautica,* a retelling of the story of Jason's travels to retrieve the fabled [Golden Fleece](https://www.worldhistory.org/Golden_Fleece/). And, like Callimachus and Theocritus, his work influenced Catullus and Virgil.

Besides poetry and prose, the best-known playwright of the era, the Athenian Menander (342 – 290 BCE), must be mentioned. Menander was a student of philosophy and leading proponent of New Comedy, authoring over 100 plays, including *Dyscolus*, *Perikeiromene*, and *Epitrepontes*. He was the master of suspense. His plays were later adapted by the Roman authors [Plautus](https://www.worldhistory.org/plautus/) and Terence.

The [Hellenistic world](https://www.worldhistory.org/Hellenistic_Period/) produced a few notable historians, too. Polybius (200 -118 BCE) was a Greek who wrote on [Rome](https://www.worldhistory.org/Rome/)'s rise to power. Denounced as too friendly to Rome, he was a proponent of [Greek culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Greek_Culture/) in Rome. Of his *Histories*, only the first five books remain of the 40 written.

Lastly, Plutarch (born c. 45 BCE) was one of the most famous of the Greek historians. Originally from Chaeronea, he was a philosopher, teacher, and biographer. Although he spent time in Egypt and Rome (where he taught philosophy), he spent most of his life in his home [city](https://www.worldhistory.org/city/). Later in life, he served as a priest at the oracle at [Delphi](https://www.worldhistory.org/delphi/). His most famous work *Parallel Lives* provided biographies of Roman statesmen as well as such Greeks as Alexander, [Lycurgus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Lycurgus/), [Themistocles](https://www.worldhistory.org/Themistocles/), and [Pericles](https://www.worldhistory.org/pericles/). Unlike other histories, he chose not to write a continuous history but concentrated on the personal character of each individual. He also wrote on ethical, religious, political, and literary topics of the day.

### Legacy

After the [death of Alexander the Great](https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2366/death-of-alexander-the-great/) and the growth of Hellenistic culture across the Mediterranean, [Roman literature](https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Literature/) and art had a distinctive Greek flavor. Greek literature had risen from the oral tradition of Homer and Hesiod through the plays of Sophocles and Aristophanes and now lay on the tables of Roman citizens and authors. This literature included the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle and the histories of Herodotus and Thucydides. Centuries of poetry and prose have come down through the generations, influencing the Romans as well as countless others across [Europe](https://www.worldhistory.org/europe/). Referring to the “fire” of Greek poetry, Edith Hamilton wrote, "One might quote all the Greek poems there are, even when they are tragedies. Every one of them shows the fire of life burning high. Never a Greek poet that did not warm both hands at that flame." (26) Today, libraries both public and private contain the works of those ancient Greeks. And, countless future generations will be able to read and enjoy the beauty of Greek literature.

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored definition has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## Bibliography

- [Aeschylus. *The Complete Aeschylus.* Oxford University Press, 2011.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0199753636/)
- [Aesop. *Aesop's Fables.* Fall River, 2014.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/1454910976/)
- [Cantor, N.F. *Antiquity.* Harper Perennial, 2003.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B0091LJLAO/)
- [Euripides. *Medea and Other Plays.* Oxford University Press, 2009.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0199537968/)
- [Garland, R. *Ancient Greece.* Sterling, 2013.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/1454909080/)
- [Hamilton, E. *The Greek Way.* W. W. Norton & Company, 2017.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/039335444X/)
- [Hesiod. *Theogony and Works and Days.* Oxford University Press, 2009.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/019953831X/)
- [Hornblower, S. *The Oxford Classical Dictionary.* Oxford University Press, 2012.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0199545561/)
- [Kershaw, S. *A Brief Guide to the Greek Myths.* Robinson Publishing, 2007.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/1845295129/)
- [Sophocles. *The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles.* Plume, 1996.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/0452011671/)
- [Spielvogel, J.J. *Western Civilization.* Cengage Learning, 2014.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/1285436482/)
- [Stangroom, J. *The Great Philosophers.* Metro Books, 2007.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/B00T5B4EMU/)
- [Stokes, P. *Philosophy 100 Essential Thinkers.* Arcturus Publishing Limited, 2017.](https://www.worldhistory.org/books/1784284149/)

## About the Author

Donald has taught Ancient, Medieval and U.S. History at Lincoln College (Normal, Illinois)and has always been and will always be a student of history, ever since learning about Alexander the Great. He is eager to pass knowledge on to his students.

## Timeline

- **c. 800 BCE - c. 700 BCE**: [Homer](https://www.worldhistory.org/homer/) of [Greece](https://www.worldhistory.org/greece/) writes his *[Iliad](https://www.worldhistory.org/iliad/)* and *[Odyssey](https://www.worldhistory.org/Odyssey/)*.
- **c. 700 BCE**: [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) poet [Hesiod](https://www.worldhistory.org/hesiod/) writes his *[Theogony](https://www.worldhistory.org/Theogony/)* and *[Works and Days](https://www.worldhistory.org/Works_and_Days/)*.
- **c. 620 BCE - c. 570 BCE**: Life of [Sappho of Lesbos](https://www.worldhistory.org/Sappho_of_Lesbos/).
- **c. 525 BCE - c. 456 BCE**: Life of [Greek tragedy](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Tragedy/) poet [Aeschylus](https://www.worldhistory.org/Aeschylus/).
- **c. 496 BCE - c. 406 BCE**: Life of [Greek tragedy](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Tragedy/) poet [Sophocles](https://www.worldhistory.org/sophocles/).
- **c. 484 BCE - 407 BCE**: Life of [Greek tragedy](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Tragedy/) poet [Euripides](https://www.worldhistory.org/Euripides/).
- **c. 460 BCE - c. 399 BCE**: Life of [Thucydides](https://www.worldhistory.org/Thucydides/).
- **c. 460 BCE - c. 380 BCE**: Life of [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) comic poet [Aristophanes](https://www.worldhistory.org/Aristophanes/).
- **c. 430 BCE - 415 BCE**: The *Histories* of [Herodotus](https://www.worldhistory.org/herodotus/) is published. The work is divided into nine chapters, each dedicated to one of the [Muses](https://www.worldhistory.org/muse/).
- **c. 371 BCE**: Composition of [Xenophon](https://www.worldhistory.org/xenophon/)'s memorabilia.
- **370 BCE**: Composition of [Xenophon](https://www.worldhistory.org/xenophon/)'s Anabasis.
- **c. 350 BCE**: Aristoxenos writes his theory of [music](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Music/) treatise 'Harmonic Elements'.
- **c. 340 BCE**: The [Greek](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/greek/) poet and scholar Philitas is born on [Kos](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kos/).
- **c. 200 BCE - c. 118 BCE**: Life of the historian [Polybius](https://www.worldhistory.org/Polybius/).
- **146 BCE**: [Polybius](https://www.worldhistory.org/Polybius/) writes his Histories about the [Roman](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Roman/) [conquest](https://www.worldhistory.org/warfare/) of [Greece](https://www.worldhistory.org/greece/).

## External Links

- [Aesop's Fables: Stories to Live By](http://ed.ted.com/on/RhYy6WNI)
- [In Our Time, The Odyssey](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p004y297)
- [In Our Time, The Iliad](https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bh5x1y)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Wasson, D. L. (2017, October 11). Ancient Greek Literature. *World History Encyclopedia*. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek\_Literature/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Literature/)
### Chicago
Wasson, Donald L.. "Ancient Greek Literature." *World History Encyclopedia*, October 11, 2017. [https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek\_Literature/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Literature/).
### MLA
Wasson, Donald L.. "Ancient Greek Literature." *World History Encyclopedia*, 11 Oct 2017, [https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek\_Literature/](https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Literature/).

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [Donald L. Wasson](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/DWasson/ "User Page: Donald L. Wasson"), published on 11 October 2017. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/deed.en). This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.