Ancient Authors, by Date

This list is derived from the List of sources and translations and so it has the same scope: it includes all Greek and Latin authors, who wrote before 200 A.D. and have been translated into English, together with a selection of authors from after 200 A.D. If the name of the author is unknown, the book title is shown instead.

Some of the dates shown here are merely approximate. When the date is across two centuries, for instance "3rd/2nd Century B.C.", that can mean one of two things: either the author lived close to the boundary between the two centuries, or it is uncertain which of the centuries he lived in.

Click on the name of the author to go to an English translation or (if there is more than one book title) to a list of translations. Click on the W in brackets after the name, to go to further information in a wikipedia article.

B.C.: 7^th Century - 6^th Century - 5^th Century - 4^th Century - 3^rd Century - 2^nd Century - 1^st Century
A.D.: 1^st Century - 2^nd Century - 3^rd Century - 4^th Century - After 400

8th/7th Century B.C.

Greek
Poetry: Homer ( W ) , Hesiod ( W )

7th Century B.C.

Greek
Poetry: Alcman ( W ) , Archilochus ( W ) , Semonides of Amorgos ( W )

7th/6th Century B.C.

Greek
Poetry: Alcaeus ( W ) , Sappho ( W )

6th Century B.C.

Greek
Poetry: Solon ( W ) , Theognis ( W )

Other Languages
History: 'Kings' ( W )

6th/5th Century B.C.

Greek
Philosophy: Heracleitus ( W )

5th Century B.C.

Greek
Drama: Aeschylus ( W ) , Eupolis ( W ) , Euripides ( W ) , Sophocles ( W )
Geography: Hanno ( W )
History: Herodotus ( W )
Oratory: Antiphon ( W )
Philosophy: Empedocles ( W ) , Gorgias ( W ) , Parmenides ( W )
Poetry: Bacchylides ( W ) , Pindar ( W ) , Simonides ( W )

Other Languages
History: 'Chronicles' ( W )
Jewish Religion: Malachi ( W )
Popular tale: 'Story of Ahikar' ( W )

5th/4th Century B.C.

Greek
Drama: Aristophanes ( W )
History: Ctesias ( W ) , Thucydides ( W )
History, Philosophy: Xenophon ( W )
Medicine: Hippocrates ( W )
Oratory: Andocides ( W ) , Lysias ( W )
Oratory, Philosophy: Antisthenes ( W ) , Dissoi Logoi ( W )
Philosophy: Antiphon the Sophist ( W ) , Cebes ( W ) , Derveni Papyrus ( W )
Poetry: Timotheus ( W )

Other Languages
Jewish Religion: Ezra ( W ) , Nehemiah ( W )

4th Century B.C.

Greek
Drama: Alexis ( W ) , Antiphanes ( W )
Geography: Pseudo-Scylax ( W )
History: 'Hellenica Oxyrhynchia' ( W ) , Theopompus ( W )
Music: Aristoxenus ( W )
Oratory: Aeschines ( W ) , Alcidamas ( W ) , Demades ( W ) , Demosthenes ( W ) , Hypereides ( W ) , Isaeus ( W ) , Isocrates ( W ) , Lycurgus of Athens ( W )
Philosophy: Aeschines of Sphettus ( W ) , Diogenes of Sinope ( W ) , Plato ( W )
Philosophy, Science: Aristotle ( W )
Warfare: Aeneas Tacticus ( W )

Other Languages
Jewish Religion: 'Esther' ( W )

4th/3rd Century B.C.

Greek
Drama: Diphilus ( W ) , Menander ( W ) , Philemon ( W )
History: Diyllus ( W )
History, Oratory: Demetrius Phalereus ( W )
Mathematics: Euclid ( W )
Mythology: Palaephatus ( W )
Oratory: Dinarchus ( W )
Philosophy: Crates of Thebes ( W ) , Dicaearchus ( W ) , Epicurus ( W )
Philosophy, Science: Theophrastus ( W )
Poetry: Anyte ( W ) , Castorion , Erinna ( W )

3rd Century B.C.

Greek
Chronicle: 'Parian Marble' ( W )
Drama: Herodas ( W ) , Machon ( W )
History: Berossus ( W ) , Callixeinus ( W ) , Hieronymus of Cardia ( W ) , Manetho ( W ) , Philochorus ( W ) , Phylarchus ( W )
Jewish Religion: Jesus son of Sirach ( W )
Marvels: Antigonus of Carystus ( W )
Mathematics: Archimedes ( W )
Mechanics: Philon of Byzantium ( W )
Philosophy: Cleanthes ( W ) , Perictione ( W ) , Teles ( W )
Poetry: Apollonius Rhodius ( W ) , Aratus ( W ) , Asclepiades ( W ) , Callimachus ( W ) , Cercidas ( W ) , Dioscorides , Euphorion ( W ) , Hermesianax ( W ) , Leonidas ( W ) , Lycophron ( W ) , Poseidippus ( W ) , Theocritus ( W )
Science: Aristarchus of Samos ( W )

Latin
Drama, Poetry: Livius Andronicus ( W ) , Naevius ( W )

Other Languages
Edicts: Asoka ( W )

3rd/2nd Century B.C.

Greek
Biography: Satyrus ( W )
Chronicle, Science: Eratosthenes ( W )
History: Sosylus
Mathematics: Apollonius of Perge ( W )

Latin
Drama: Plautus ( W )

Other Languages
Egyptian Prophecy: 'Demotic Chronicle' , 'Famine Stela' ( W )
Jewish Religion: 'Enoch' ( W )

2nd Century B.C.

Greek
Astronomy: Leptines
Chronicle, Mythology: Apollodorus of Athens ( W )
Geography: Agatharchides ( W ) , Pseudo-Scymnus ( W )
Grammar: Dionysius Thrax ( W )
History: '1 Maccabees' ( W ) , '2 Maccabees' ( W ) , Eupolemus ( W ) , Heracleides Lembus ( W ) , Polybius ( W )
Jewish Religion: Aristeas ( W ) , Daniel ( W ) , Tobit ( W )
Jewish Religion, Drama: Ezekiel the Tragedian ( W )
Poetry: Antipater of Sidon ( W ) , Limenius ( W ) , Moschus ( W ) , Nicander ( W )

Latin
Drama: Pacuvius ( W ) , Terentius ( W )
Drama, Poetry: Accius ( W ) , Caecilius Statius ( W ) , Ennius ( W )
History, Oratory, Agriculture: Cato ( W )
Poetry: Lucilius ( W )

Other Languages
Jewish Religion: 'Jubilees' ( W )

2nd/1st Century B.C.

Greek
Egyptian Religion: 'Hymns to Isis'
Jewish Religion: 'Wisdom of Solomon' ( W )
Poetry: Bion ( W ) , Meleager ( W )

Other Languages
Egyptian Prophecy: 'Oracle of the Potter' ( W )

1st Century B.C.

Greek
Astronomy: Geminus ( W )
Fables: Parthenius ( W )
History: Crates of Athens , Diodorus Siculus ( W )
History, Geography: Poseidonius ( W )
Jewish Religion: 'Judith' ( W ) , 'Psalms of Solomon' ( W )
Letters: Brutus ( W )
Philosophy: Arius Didymus ( W ) , Sextus Pythagoraeus ( W )
Philosophy, Poetry: Philodemus ( W )
Poetry: Antipater of Thessalonica ( W ) , Archias ( W ) , Crinagoras ( W )
Warfare: Asclepiodotus ( W ) , Athenaeus Mechanicus ( W )

Latin
Architecture: Vitruvius ( W )
Biography: Cornelius Nepos ( W )
Grammar, Agriculture: M. Varro ( W )
History: Julius Caesar ( W ) , Sallustius ( W ) , Sisenna ( W )
Oratory, Letters, Philosophy: Cicero ( W )
Poetry: Catullus ( W ) , Horatius ( W ) , Lucretius ( W ) , Propertius ( W ) , Publilius Syrus ( W ) , Tibullus ( W ) , Vergilius ( W )
Politics: Q. Cicero ( W )

1st Century B.C./1st Century A.D.

Greek
Geography: Isidorus of Charax ( W ) , Strabo ( W )
History, Literary Criticism: Dionysius of Halicarnassus ( W )
History, Philosophy: Nicolaus of Damascus ( W )
Jewish Religion: '3 Maccabees' ( W ) , '4 Maccabees' ( W ) , Pseudo-Phocylides ( W ) , 'Testament of Job' ( W )
Mythology: Conon ( W )
Poetry: Apollonides ( W ) , Marcus Argentarius ( W ) , 'Orphica' , 'Priapeia' ( W ) , 'Sibylline Oracles' ( W )

Latin
Biography: Augustus ( W )
Chronicle: 'Fasti Capitolini' ( W ) , 'Fasti Triumphales' ( W )
History: Titus Livius ( W ) , Pompeius Trogus ( W )
Jewish Religion: 'Assumption of Moses' ( W )
Medicine: Celsus ( W )
Mythology: Hyginus ( W )
Oratory: Seneca the Elder ( W )
Poetry: 'Elegiae In Maecenatem' ( W ) , Germanicus Caesar ( W ) , Grattius ( W ) , Ovidius ( W ) , Sulpicia ( W )

Other Languages
Buddhist Religion: 'Questions of King Milinda' ( W )
Egyptian Fiction: 'Stories of Setne Khamwas' ( W )
Jewish Religion: 'Gabriel Revelation' ( W )

1st Century A.D.

Greek
Alchemy: Pseudo-Democritus ( W )
Astrology: Dorotheus of Sidon ( W ) , Serapion
Christian Religion: Clement of Rome ( W ) , James ( W ) , Jude ( W ) , Luke ( W ) , Mark ( W ) , Matthew ( W ) , Paul ( W ) , Peter ( W ) , Thomas ( W )
Geography: 'Periplus of the Erythraean Sea' ( W )
Grammar, Literary Criticism, Rhetoric: Heracleitus ( W ) , Longinus ( W ) , Aelius Theon ( W )
History: Memnon ( W )
Jewish Religion: Philon ( W )
Letters: Apollonius of Tyana ( W )
Mechanics, Mathematics: Heron ( W )
Medicine: Aretaeus of Cappadocia ( W ) , Dioscorides ( W )
Philosophy: Cornutus ( W ) , Musonius Rufus ( W )
Poetry: Antiphilus ( W ) , Lucillius ( W ) , Nicarchus ( W ) , Philippus ( W )
Warfare: Onasander ( W )

Latin
Agriculture: Columella ( W )
Drama, Philosophy: Seneca the Younger ( W )
Geography: Pomponius Mela ( W )
Grammar: Asconius ( W )
History: Q. Curtius ( W ) , Valerius Maximus ( W ) , Velleius Paterculus ( W )
Novels: Petronius ( W )
Poetry: 'Aetna' ( W ) , Calpurnius Siculus ( W ) , 'Einsiedeln Eclogues' , 'Laus Pisonis' ( W ) , Lucanus ( W ) , Manilius ( W ) , Persius ( W ) , Phaedrus ( W ) , Valerius Flaccus ( W )
Science: Plinius the Elder ( W )

Other Languages
Chronicle: 'Megillat Taanit' ( W )
Jewish Religion: 'Apocalypse of Zephaniah' ( W )

1st/2nd Century A.D.

Greek
Biography, Essays, Philosophy: Plutarch ( W )
Christian Religion: Barnabas ( W ) , 'Didache' ( W ) , Hermas ( W ) , Ignatius of Antioch ( W ) , John ( W ) , Papias of Hierapolis ( W )
History, Jewish Religion: Josephus ( W )
Jewish Religion: 'Apocalypse of Moses' ( W ) , Eugnostus the Blessed ( W ) , 'Testament of Abraham' ( W )
Literary Criticism: Demetrius
Mathematics: Menelaus of Alexandria ( W ) , Theon of Smyrna ( W )
Mathematics, Music: Nicomachus ( W )
Medicine: Rufus of Ephesus ( W ) , Soranus ( W )
Novels: Chariton ( W )
Oratory: Dio Chystostom ( W )
Warfare: Apollodorus of Damascus ( W )

Latin
History: Frontinus ( W )
History, Rhetoric: Tacitus ( W )
Jewish Religion: '2 Esdras' ( W )
Letters: Plinius the Younger ( W )
Oratory: Quintilianus ( W )
Poetry: Juvenalis ( W ) , Martialis ( W ) , Silius Italicus ( W ) , Statius ( W )

Other Languages
Jewish Religion: 'Apocalypse of Abraham' ( W ) , 'Ascension of Isaiah' ( W ) , '2 Baruch' ( W )

2nd Century A.D.

Greek
Astrology, Herbology, Oneirology: Artemidorus Daldianus ( W ) , Thessalus , Vettius Valens ( W )
Biography, Poetry: 'Certamen' ( W )
Christian Religion: Athenagoras ( W ) , 'Epistle To Diognetus' ( W ) , Irenaeus ( W ) , Justin Martyr ( W ) , 'Maryrdom of Polycarp' ( W ) , Melito of Sardis ( W ) , Polycarp ( W ) , Tatianus ( W ) , 'Testaments of the 12 Patriarchs' ( W ) , Theophilus ( W )
Chronicle: 'Astronomical Canon' ( W )
Chronicle, Marvels: Phlegon ( W )
Geography: Dionysius of Alexandria ( W ) , Dionysius of Byzantium ( W ) , Pausanias ( W )
Geography, Science: Cleomedes ( W ) , Claudius Ptolemaeus ( W )
Grammar: Harpocration ( W )
History: Appian ( W ) , Charax ( W )
Humour: Lucian ( W )
Letters: Alciphron ( W )
Marvels: Ptolemaeus Chennus ( W )
Medicine: Galen ( W )
Music: Cleonides ( W )
Novels: Achilles Tatius ( W ) , Longus ( W )
Oratory: P. Aelius Aristides ( W ) , Hermogenes ( W )
Philosophy: Alcinous ( W ) , Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( W ) , Diogenes of Oenoanda ( W ) , Hierocles ( W ) , Maximus of Tyre ( W ) , Numenius of Apamea ( W ) , Secundus the Silent ( W )
Philosophy, History: Arrianus ( W )
Proverbs: Zenobius ( W )

Latin
Biography: Suetonius ( W )
Grammar: Sex. Pompeius Festus ( W ) , Aulus Gellius ( W )
History: Florus ( W ) , Granius Licinianus ( W )
Law: Gaius ( W )
Letters: Fronto ( W )
Novels: Apuleius ( W )
Rhetoric: Calpurnius Flaccus ( W )

Other Languages
Christian Religion: 'Apocalypse of Peter' ( W ) , Aristides of Athens ( W ) , 'Epistle of the Apostles' ( W ) , 'Gospel of Judas' ( W ) , 'Gospel of Mary' ( W ) , 'Gospel of Truth' ( W )
Christian or Jewish Religion: 'Odes of Solomon' ( W )
Chronicle: 'Seder Olam Rabbah' ( W )

2nd/3rd Century A.D.

Greek
Christian Religion: 'Apocryphal Acts' , Clement of Alexandria ( W )
Grammar: Athenaeus ( W )
History, Letters: Aelian ( W )
Mythology: Antoninus Liberalis ( W )
Novels: Xenophon of Ephesus ( W )
Philosophy: Sextus Empiricus ( W )
Poetry: Babrius ( W ) , Oppianus ( W )

Latin
Christian Religion: Minucius Felix ( W ) , Tertullian ( W )
Compendium of Useful Facts: L. Ampelius ( W )
Geography: Antonine Itinerary ( W )
History: Justinus ( W )
Medicine, Poetry: Serenus Sammonicus ( W )

Other Languages
Jewish Religion: Mishnah ( W )

3rd Century A.D.

Greek
Biography, Philosophy: Diogenes Laertius ( W ) , Flavius Philostratus ( W )
Christian Religion: Origen ( W )
Chronicle: Hippolytus ( W )
Geography: 'Stadiasmus Maris Magni' ( W )
History: Dexippus ( W ) , Dio Cassius ( W ) , Herodianius ( W ) , 'Alexander Romance' ( W )
Mathematics: Diophantus ( W )
Novels: Heliodorus ( W )
Philosophy: Porphyrius ( W )

Latin
Grammar: Censorinus ( W )

3rd/4th Century A.D.

Greek
Philosophy: Iamblichus ( W )

Latin
Christian Religion: Arnobius ( W ) , Lactantius ( W )

4th Century A.D.

Greek
Christian Religion, Chronicle: Eusebius ( W )
Letters, Oratory: Julian ( W ) , Libanius ( W )

Latin
Biography: 'Historia Augusta' ( W )
History: Ammianus Marcellinus ( W ) , Eutropius ( W ) , Festus ( W ) , Obsequens ( W ) , Aurelius Victor ( W )

4th/5th Century A.D.

Latin
Christian Religion: Augustinus ( W )
Christian Religion, Chronicle: Hieronymus (Jerome) ( W ) , Sulpitius Severus ( W )
Grammar: Macrobius ( W )
History: Julius Exsuperantius , Orosius ( W )

After 400 A.D.

Greek
Biography: Anonymous Lives
Biography, Grammar: Suda ( W )
Christian Religion, Literary Criticism: Photius ( W )
Chronicle: 'Chronicon Paschale' ( W ) , 'Chronographeion Syntomon' , Johannes Malalas ( W )
Grammar: 'Prolegomena De Comoedia' , Tzetzes ( W )
History: Zonaras ( W )

Latin
Christian Religion, History: Bede ( W )
Chronicle: Cassiodorus ( W ) , 'Excerpta Latina Barbari' ( W )
History: Jordanes ( W ) , Nennius ( W )
Law: Justinianus ( W )

Other Languages
Chronicle: 'Georgian Chronicle' ( W ) , 'Mahavamsa' ( W )
History: Movses Khonenatsi ( W )