Interactive Table of Ancient Greek Texts
This list aims to be a comprehensive summary of surviving Ancient Greek literature that was written before 400 AD. It includes all relatively complete works, for which at least 40% of the text has survived to today. The completeness percentage is only listed for those works below 100% completeness. In other words, if the completeness percentage is left blank, that particular title survives (approximately) in its entirety.
This list is a work in progress. If you notice any omissions or mistakes, please add a comment below and we will make any necessary corrections.
400 AD and Older
The table ranges from the first work of Greek literature, Homer’s Iliad (composed in the 8th century BC) to the writings of the early church father Gregory of Nyssa (380 AD). Although there was some Koine and later Byzantine Greek literature after this period, we decided to use the cutoff of 400 AD for a few different reasons.
- Age correlates with significance. The older a work is, the longer it has stood the test of time. Therefore we had to make the cutoff somewhere…but where? The next two points provided a convenient cutoff.
- The rising dominance of Christianity. The Edict of Thessalonica in 380 AD made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. This was a titanic shift in the cultural and political landscape of the ancient world. That event, as well as the next one, cements 400 AD as a useful division between major eras of world history.
- Destruction of the Library of Alexandria. The destruction and neglect of the Library began centuries earlier, but the fire of 391 AD sealed its downfall. This fire was caused by the destruction of a pagan temple which included the Serapeum, a temple annex that housed much of the Library’s remaining collections. Only works which had already been copied and stored in numerous places throughout the Mediterranean world survived the destruction of the Library of Alexandria.
Sources used to assemble this table include the Perseus Digital Library and the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae. See the bottom of this article for a more complete listing of sources.
| Title | Author | Date | Dialect | Word Count | Genre | Complete | Collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iliad | Homer | -750 | Homeric Greek | 156000 | Epic | ||
| Odyssey | Homer | -725 | Homeric Greek | 121000 | Epic | ||
| Theogony | Hesiod | -700 | Homeric Greek | 10220 | Epic | ||
| Works and Days | Hesiod | -700 | Homeric Greek | 8280 | Poetry | ||
| Partheneia (chorus songs) | Alcman | -650 | Doric Greek | 2000 | Poetry | ||
| Homeric Hymns (major ones) | Homer (attrib.) | -600 | Homeric Greek | 15000 | Epic | ||
| Elegies (complete corpus) | Theognis | -540 | Homeric Greek | 15000 | Poetry | ||
| Anacreontea (authentic poems) | Anacreon | -530 | Ionic Greek | 2500 | Poetry | ||
| On Nature (poem) | Parmenides | -500 | Homeric Greek | 1500 | Philosophy | 80% | |
| Elegies & Epigrams | Simonides | -500 | Mixed | 4000 | Poetry | ||
| Persians | Aeschylus | -472 | Classical Greek | 18200 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Odes (complete set) | Bacchylides | -470 | Doric Greek | 8000 | Poetry | ||
| Seven Against Thebes | Aeschylus | -467 | Classical Greek | 11100 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Suppliants | Aeschylus | -463 | Classical Greek | 14700 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Odes (Epinicia, complete set) | Pindar | -460 | Doric Greek | 50000 | Poetry | ||
| Libation Bearers | Aeschylus | -458 | Classical Greek | 11800 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Eumenides | Aeschylus | -458 | Classical Greek | 11300 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Agamemnon | Aeschylus | -458 | Classical Greek | 18400 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Women of Trachis | Sophocles | -450 | Classical Greek | 15300 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Purifications (major fragments) | Empedocles | -450 | Doric Greek | 4000 | Philosophy | 50% | |
| On Nature | Empedocles | -450 | Doric Greek | 2000 | Philosophy | 60% | |
| On Non-Being (or On Nature) | Gorgias | -445 | Classical Greek | 1000 | Oratory | 85% | |
| Antigone | Sophocles | -442 | Classical Greek | 14900 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Rhesus | Euripides | -440 | Classical Greek | 11000 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Ajax | Sophocles | -440 | Classical Greek | 15600 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Alcestis | Euripides | -438 | Classical Greek | 12800 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Medea | Euripides | -431 | Classical Greek | 8395 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Prometheus Bound | Aeschylus | -430 | Classical Greek | 16900 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Children of Heracles | Euripides | -430 | Classical Greek | 9000 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Histories | Herodotus | -430 | Ionic Greek | 140000 | History | ||
| Oedipus Rex | Sophocles | -429 | Classical Greek | 9903 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Hippolytus | Euripides | -428 | Classical Greek | 16100 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Andromache | Euripides | -425 | Classical Greek | 7764 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Acharnians | Aristophanes | -425 | Classical Greek | 13300 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Hecuba | Euripides | -424 | Classical Greek | 14100 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Knights | Aristophanes | -424 | Classical Greek | 15400 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Clouds | Aristophanes | -423 | Classical Greek | 17700 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Suppliants | Euripides | -423 | Classical Greek | 13700 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Wasps | Aristophanes | -422 | Classical Greek | 17900 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Electra | Euripides | -422 | Classical Greek | 14700 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Heracles | Euripides | -421 | Classical Greek | 14300 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Peace | Aristophanes | -421 | Classical Greek | 13000 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| First Tetralogy | Antiphon | -420 | Classical Greek | 4500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Antilogiai (Contrasting Arguments) | Protagoras | -420 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | 50% | |
| Third Tetralogy | Antiphon | -420 | Classical Greek | 4500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Second Tetralogy | Antiphon | -420 | Classical Greek | 4500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Murder of Herodes | Antiphon | -420 | Classical Greek | 3500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Sacred Disease | Hippocrates (attrib.) | -420 | Ionic Greek | 8000 | Medicine | ||
| Electra | Sophocles | -418 | Classical Greek | 13700 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| On the Choreutes | Antiphon | -415 | Classical Greek | 2500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Trojan Women | Euripides | -415 | Classical Greek | 14600 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Iphigenia in Tauris | Euripides | -414 | Classical Greek | 16600 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Ion | Euripides | -414 | Classical Greek | 17700 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Birds | Aristophanes | -414 | Classical Greek | 20500 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Helen | Euripides | -412 | Classical Greek | 14100 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Lysistrata | Aristophanes | -411 | Classical Greek | 12000 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| History of the Peloponnesian War | Thucydides | -411 | Classical Greek | 153260 | History | ||
| Thesmophoriazusae | Aristophanes | -411 | Classical Greek | 14000 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Encomium of Helen | Gorgias | -410 | Classical Greek | 2500 | Oratory | ||
| Phoenician Women | Euripides | -409 | Classical Greek | 19400 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Philoctetes | Sophocles | -409 | Classical Greek | 16500 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Orestes | Euripides | -408 | Classical Greek | 18600 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Cyclops | Euripides | -408 | Classical Greek | 7800 | Miscellaneous | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Oedipus at Colonus | Sophocles | -406 | Classical Greek | 19700 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Iphigenia in Aulis | Euripides | -405 | Classical Greek | 14600 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Frogs | Aristophanes | -405 | Classical Greek | 16600 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Bacchae | Euripides | -405 | Classical Greek | 15600 | Tragedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Against Andocides | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| For Callias | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Epicrates and his Fellow Envoys | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Refusal of a Pension | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Defence against a Charge of Subverting the Democracy | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Philocrates | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Theomnestus 2 | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Theomnestus 1 | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Sacred Olive | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Defense of Palamedes | Gorgias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | ||
| Against Simon | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Accusation of Calumny | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Property of Aristophanes | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Choice of Heracles | Prodicus | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | ||
| On a Wound with Premeditation | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Alcibiades 1 | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Scrutiny of Evandros | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On Wisdom | Hippias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | 40% | |
| Against Pancleon | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Murder of Eratosthenes | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 4500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Nicomachus | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Agoratus | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Eratosthenes | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Confiscation of the Property of the Brother of Nicias | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| For Mantitheus | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Diogeiton | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Philon | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| For Polystratus | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| For the Soldier | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Property of Eraton | Lysias | -400 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Prognostic | Hippocrates (attrib.) | -400 | Ionic Greek | 5000 | Medicine | ||
| Airs, Waters, Places | Hippocrates (attrib.) | -400 | Ionic Greek | 12000 | Medicine | ||
| Epidemics (Books 1-7) | Hippocrates (attrib.) | -400 | Ionic Greek | 30000 | Medicine | ||
| Regimen in Acute Diseases | Hippocrates (attrib.) | -400 | Ionic Greek | 8000 | Medicine | ||
| On Fractures | Hippocrates (attrib.) | -400 | Ionic Greek | 5000 | Medicine | ||
| On Joints | Hippocrates (attrib.) | -400 | Ionic Greek | 5000 | Medicine | ||
| Aphorisms | Hippocrates (attrib.) | -400 | Ionic Greek | 5000 | Medicine | ||
| Crito | Plato | -399 | Classical Greek | 4500 | Philosophy | ||
| Apology | Plato | -399 | Classical Greek | 8854 | Philosophy | ||
| Euthyphro | Plato | -399 | Classical Greek | 5464 | Philosophy | ||
| Against Alcibiades | Andocides | -399 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On His Return | Andocides | -399 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Mysteries | Andocides | -399 | Classical Greek | 10000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| To Demonicus | Isocrates | -396 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Trapeziticus | Isocrates | -393 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Peace | Andocides | -392 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Ecclesiazusae | Aristophanes | -392 | Classical Greek | 12000 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Funeral Oration | Lysias | -392 | Classical Greek | 3500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Cleonymus | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against the Sophists | Isocrates | -390 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Apollodorus | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Sophists | Alcidamas | -390 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | ||
| On the Estate of Aristarchus | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Euthynus | Isocrates | -390 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Callimachus | Isocrates | -390 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Aegineticus | Isocrates | -390 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Concerning the Team of Horses | Isocrates | -390 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Philoctemon | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Lochites | Isocrates | -390 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Busiris | Isocrates | -390 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Menecle | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 2500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Nicostratus | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Astyphilus | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Ciron | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Dicaeogenes | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Pyrrhus | Isaeus | -390 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Ergocles | Lysias | -389 | Classical Greek | 3500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Lysis | Plato | -388 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Philosophy | ||
| Laches | Plato | -388 | Classical Greek | 8021 | Philosophy | ||
| Charmides | Plato | -388 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Philosophy | ||
| Wealth | Aristophanes | -388 | Classical Greek | 13000 | Comedy | Four Attic Playwrights | |
| Olympic Oration | Lysias | -388 | Classical Greek | 2500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Protagoras | Plato | -387 | Classical Greek | 18077 | Philosophy | ||
| Gorgias | Plato | -387 | Classical Greek | 27824 | Philosophy | ||
| Meno | Plato | -387 | Classical Greek | 10396 | Philosophy | ||
| Menexenus | Plato | -386 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Philosophy | ||
| Phaedo | Plato | -385 | Classical Greek | 22633 | Philosophy | ||
| Symposium | Plato | -385 | Classical Greek | 17000 | Philosophy | ||
| Ion | Plato | -385 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Philosophy | ||
| Hippias Minor | Plato | -385 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Philosophy | ||
| Against the Corn Dealers | Lysias | -385 | Classical Greek | 1500 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Cratylus | Plato | -384 | Classical Greek | 11000 | Philosophy | ||
| Euthydemus | Plato | -384 | Classical Greek | 7000 | Philosophy | ||
| Republic | Plato | -380 | Classical Greek | 89359 | Philosophy | ||
| Panegyricus | Isocrates | -380 | Classical Greek | 18000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| To Nicocles | Isocrates | -374 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Plataicus | Isocrates | -373 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Nicocles | Isocrates | -372 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Memorabilia | Xenophon | -371 | Classical Greek | 35000 | Philosophy | ||
| Phaedrus | Plato | -370 | Classical Greek | 15000 | Philosophy | ||
| Parmenides | Plato | -370 | Classical Greek | 11000 | Philosophy | ||
| Helen | Isocrates | -370 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Anabasis | Xenophon | -370 | Classical Greek | 62000 | History | ||
| Cyropaedia | Xenophon | -370 | Classical Greek | 140000 | History | ||
| Theaetetus | Plato | -369 | Classical Greek | 17000 | Philosophy | ||
| Archidamus | Isocrates | -366 | Classical Greek | 7000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Evagoras | Isocrates | -365 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Hellenica | Xenophon | -362 | Classical Greek | 70800 | History | ||
| Statesman | Plato | -361 | Classical Greek | 18000 | Philosophy | ||
| Sophist | Plato | -361 | Classical Greek | 15000 | Philosophy | ||
| Philebus | Plato | -360 | Classical Greek | 14000 | Philosophy | ||
| Critias | Plato | -360 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Philosophy | ||
| Timaeus | Plato | -360 | Classical Greek | 24104 | Philosophy | ||
| Areopagiticus | Isocrates | -355 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Peace | Isocrates | -355 | Classical Greek | 7000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Androtion | Demosthenes | -355 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Antidosis | Isocrates | -353 | Classical Greek | 15000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Timocrates | Demosthenes | -353 | Classical Greek | 12000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| For the Megalopolitans | Demosthenes | -353 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Aristocrates | Demosthenes | -352 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Philippic 1 | Demosthenes | -351 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| For the Liberty of the Rhodians | Demosthenes | -351 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Seventh Letter | Plato | -350 | Classical Greek | 7000 | Epistle | ||
| Generation of Animals | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 70000 | Biology | ||
| On Generation and Corruption | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 13000 | Physics | ||
| Eudemian Ethics | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 37000 | Philosophy | ||
| On Memory | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Psychology | ||
| Parts of Animals | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 49000 | Biology | ||
| Movement of Animals | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Biology | ||
| Progression of Animals | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Biology | ||
| Politics | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 35000 | Philosophy | ||
| On the Soul | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 18000 | Psychology | ||
| Rhetoric | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 46000 | Oratory | ||
| Meteorology | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 23000 | Physics | ||
| Sense and Sensibilia | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 7000 | Psychology | ||
| History of Animals | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 145000 | Biology | ||
| Sophistical Refutations | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Logic | ||
| Nicomachean Ethics | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 58000 | Philosophy | ||
| Categories | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 4800 | Logic | ||
| Prior Analytics | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 24000 | Logic | ||
| On the Heavens | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 21000 | Physics | ||
| Physics | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 39000 | Physics | ||
| On Dreams | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 2500 | Psychology | ||
| Posterior Analytics | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 23000 | Logic | ||
| Metaphysics | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 158000 | Philosophy | ||
| Poetics | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 3500 | Miscellaneous | ||
| Topics | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 84000 | Logic | ||
| On Interpretation | Aristotle | -350 | Classical Greek | 7500 | Logic | ||
| Erotic Essay | Demosthenes | -350 | Classical Greek | 2000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Poliorketika (How to Survive Under Siege) | Aeneas Tacticus | -350 | Classical Greek | 10000 | Miscellaneous | ||
| Olynthiac 1 | Demosthenes | -349 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Olynthiac 3 | Demosthenes | -348 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Olynthiac 2 | Demosthenes | -348 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Laws | Plato | -347 | Classical Greek | 106298 | Philosophy | ||
| Against Meidias | Demosthenes | -347 | Classical Greek | 10000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Peace | Demosthenes | -346 | Classical Greek | 9000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| To Philip | Isocrates | -346 | Classical Greek | 10000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Timarchus | Aeschines | -345 | Classical Greek | 10000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Philippic 2 | Demosthenes | -344 | Classical Greek | 7000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Embassy | Aeschines | -343 | Classical Greek | 15000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Estate of Hagnias | Isaeus | -343 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the False Embassy | Demosthenes | -343 | Classical Greek | 15000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Philippic 4 | Demosthenes | -341 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Third Philippic | Demosthenes | -341 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Philippic 3 | Demosthenes | -341 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Chersonese | Demosthenes | -341 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Neaera | Demosthenes | -340 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Philip’s Letter | Demosthenes | -340 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Panathenaicus | Isocrates | -339 | Classical Greek | 20000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Funeral Speech | Demosthenes | -338 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Leocrates | Lycurgus | -330 | Classical Greek | 10000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Philippides | Hyperides | -330 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Ctesiphon | Aeschines | -330 | Classical Greek | 20000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| In Defense of Euxenippus | Hyperides | -330 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| On the Crown | Demosthenes | -330 | Classical Greek | 20000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Defense of Lycophron | Hyperides | -330 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Athenogenes | Hyperides | -330 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Constitution of the Athenians | Aristotle (attrib.) | -325 | Classical Greek | 18000 | History | ||
| Against Aristogeiton | Dinarchus | -324 | Classical Greek | 6000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Aristogeiton 2 | Demosthenes | -324 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Aristogeiton 1 | Demosthenes | -324 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Demosthenes | Dinarchus | -323 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Philocles | Dinarchus | -323 | Classical Greek | 4000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Against Demosthenes | Hyperides | -323 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Aspis (The Shield) | Menander | -323 | Classical Greek | 9000 | Comedy | 50% | |
| Samia (The Woman from Samos) | Menander | -321 | Classical Greek | 16000 | Comedy | 80% | |
| Dyskolos (The Grouch) | Menander | -316 | Classical Greek | 20000 | Comedy | ||
| Perikeiromene (The Girl with the Shorn Head) | Menander | -314 | Classical Greek | 11000 | Comedy | 45% | |
| Funeral Oration | Hyperides | -306 | Classical Greek | 8000 | Oratory | Ten Attic Orators | |
| Epitrepontes (Arbitration) | Menander | -300 | Classical Greek | 12000 | Comedy | 50% | |
| Metaphysics | Theophrastus | -300 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Philosophy | ||
| Enquiry into Plants | Theophrastus | -300 | Classical Greek | 100000 | Biology | ||
| Characters | Theophrastus | -300 | Classical Greek | 5000 | Philosophy | ||
| Elements (13 books) | Euclid | -300 | Classical Greek | 100000 | Mathematics | ||
| Letter to Herodotus | Epicurus | -300 | Koine Greek | 4000 | Philosophy | ||
| Principal Doctrines | Epicurus | -300 | Koine Greek | 2000 | Philosophy | ||
| Letter to Pythocles | Epicurus | -300 | Koine Greek | 3000 | Philosophy | ||
| Letter to Menoeceus | Epicurus | -300 | Koine Greek | 2000 | Philosophy | ||
| De Causis Plantarum (Causes of Plants) | Theophrastus | -300 | Classical Greek | 60000 | Biology | ||
| Phaenomena (astronomy poem) | Aratus | -275 | Homeric Greek | 1150 | Poetry | ||
| Argonautica | Apollonius Rhodius | -270 | Homeric Greek | 60000 | Epic | ||
| Hymns (6 complete) | Callimachus | -270 | Classical Greek | 3000 | Poetry | ||
| Idylls (bucolic poems) | Theocritus | -270 | Doric Greek | 12000 | Poetry | ||
| Aetia (origins tales) | Callimachus | -270 | Ionic Greek | 4000 | Poetry | 50% | |
| Mimes (8 complete) | Herodas | -250 | Ionic Greek | 5000 | Poetry | ||
| On the Sizes and Distances of the Sun and Moon | Aristarchus of Samos | -250 | Koine Greek | 3000 | Mathematics | ||
| The Sand-Reckoner | Archimedes | -240 | Doric Greek | 3000 | Mathematics | ||
| On the Sphere and Cylinder | Archimedes | -240 | Doric Greek | 15000 | Mathematics | ||
| Measurement of the Circle | Archimedes | -240 | Doric Greek | 2000 | Mathematics | ||
| The Method of Mechanical Theorems | Archimedes | -212 | Doric Greek | 10000 | Mathematics | 80% | |
| Conic Sections (8 books) | Apollonius | -200 | Homeric Greek | 25000 | Mathematics | ||
| Alexipharmaca | Nicander | -170 | Homeric Greek | 6380 | Poetry | ||
| Theriaca | Nicander | -170 | Homeric Greek | 11500 | Poetry | ||
| Histories (Books 1–6 complete) | Polybius | -150 | Koine Greek | 100000 | History | ||
| Europa | Moschus | -150 | Homeric Greek | 2000 | Poetry | ||
| Erotika Pathemata (Sufferings in Love) | Parthenius of Nicaea | -50 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Miscellaneous | ||
| Library of History (Books 1-5, 11-20) | Diodorus Siculus | -30 | Koine Greek | 350000 | History | ||
| Roman Antiquities (Books 1-10) | Dionysius of Halicarnassus | -20 | Classical Greek | 150000 | History | ||
| Geography (17 books) | Strabo | 7 | Koine Greek | 120000 | History | ||
| On the Creation of the World (De Opificio Mundi) | Philo of Alexandria | 20 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Theology | ||
| Allegorical Interpretation (Books 1-3) | Philo of Alexandria | 20 | Koine Greek | 37000 | Theology | ||
| On Drunkenness (De Ebrietate) | Philo of Alexandria | 25 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Theology | ||
| On the World as Created in the Mind of God (De Plantatione) | Philo of Alexandria | 25 | Koine Greek | 7000 | Theology | ||
| On the Sacrifices of Abel and Cain (De Sacrificiis Abelis et Caini) | Philo of Alexandria | 25 | Koine Greek | 5000 | Theology | ||
| On the Posterity of Cain and His Exile (De Posteritate Caini) | Philo of Alexandria | 25 | Koine Greek | 9000 | Theology | ||
| On Sobriety (De Sobrietate) | Philo of Alexandria | 25 | Koine Greek | 5000 | Theology | ||
| On Noah’s Work as a Planter (De Gigantibus) | Philo of Alexandria | 25 | Koine Greek | 6000 | Theology | ||
| On the Unchangeableness of God (Quod Deus Sit Immutabilis) | Philo of Alexandria | 25 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Theology | ||
| On the Confusion of Tongues (De Confusione Linguarum) | Philo of Alexandria | 30 | Koine Greek | 7000 | Theology | ||
| On the Preliminary Studies (De Congressu Quaerendae Eruditionis Gratia) | Philo of Alexandria | 30 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Theology | ||
| On Flight and Finding (De Fuga et Inventione) | Philo of Alexandria | 30 | Koine Greek | 10000 | Theology | ||
| Who is the Heir of Divine Things? (Quis Rerum Divinarum Heres Sit) | Philo of Alexandria | 30 | Koine Greek | 12000 | Theology | ||
| On the Migration of Abraham (De Migratione Abrahami) | Philo of Alexandria | 30 | Koine Greek | 6000 | Theology | ||
| On Husbandry (De Agricultura) | Philo of Alexandria | 30 | Koine Greek | 5000 | Theology | ||
| On the Cherubim (De Cherubim) | Philo of Alexandria | 35 | Koine Greek | 7000 | Theology | ||
| On Dreams That They Are God-Sent (De Somniis) | Philo of Alexandria | 35 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Theology | ||
| On the Change of Names (De Mutatione Nominum) | Philo of Alexandria | 35 | Koine Greek | 9000 | Theology | ||
| On Abraham (De Abrahamo) | Philo of Alexandria | 35 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Theology | ||
| On Rewards and Punishments (De Praemiis et Poenis) | Philo of Alexandria | 35 | Koine Greek | 6000 | Theology | ||
| On the Virtues (De Virtutibus) | Philo of Alexandria | 40 | Koine Greek | 12000 | Theology | ||
| On the Decalogue (De Decalogo) | Philo of Alexandria | 40 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Theology | ||
| On the Special Laws (Books 1-4) | Philo of Alexandria | 40 | Koine Greek | 70000 | Theology | ||
| Life of Moses (Books 1-2) | Philo of Alexandria | 40 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Biography | ||
| On Joseph (De Iosepho) | Philo of Alexandria | 45 | Koine Greek | 10000 | Biography | ||
| Every Good Man is Free (Quod Omnis Probus Liber Sit) | Philo of Alexandria | 45 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Apologetic | ||
| On the Contemplative Life (De Vita Contemplativa) | Philo of Alexandria | 45 | Koine Greek | 6000 | Theology | ||
| James | James | 50 | Koine Greek | 1742 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Against Flaccus (In Flaccum) | Philo of Alexandria | 50 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Apologetic | ||
| On the Eternity of the World (De Aeternitate Mundi) | Philo of Alexandria | 50 | Koine Greek | 5000 | Philosophy | ||
| Embassy to Gaius (Legatio ad Gaium) | Philo of Alexandria | 50 | Koine Greek | 40000 | Apologetic | ||
| 1 Thessalonians | Paul | 51 | Koine Greek | 1481 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Galatians | Paul | 52 | Koine Greek | 3084 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| 2 Thessalonians | Paul | 52 | Koine Greek | 823 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| 1 Corinthians | Paul | 55 | Koine Greek | 6854 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| 2 Corinthians | Paul | 56 | Koine Greek | 4477 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Romans | Paul | 57 | Koine Greek | 7111 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Philemon | Paul | 58 | Koine Greek | 335 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Philippians | Paul | 58 | Koine Greek | 1633 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Pneumatica (inventions) | Hero of Alexandria | 60 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Miscellaneous | ||
| Metrica | Hero of Alexandria | 60 | Koine Greek | 25000 | Mathematics | ||
| Colossians | Paul | 61 | Koine Greek | 1582 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Ephesians | Paul | 61 | Koine Greek | 2422 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| 1 Peter | Peter | 62 | Koine Greek | 1678 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| 1 Timothy | Paul | 63 | Koine Greek | 1591 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Titus | Paul | 63 | Koine Greek | 659 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| 2 Timothy | Paul | 66 | Koine Greek | 1238 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| 2 Peter | Peter | 67 | Koine Greek | 1099 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Mark | Mark | 68 | Koine Greek | 11304 | History | New Testament | |
| Jude | Jude | 70 | Koine Greek | 461 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Hebrews | Unknown | 75 | Koine Greek | 4953 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| The Jewish War | Josephus | 75 | Koine Greek | 60000 | History | ||
| Callirhoe | Chariton | 75 | Koine Greek | 40000 | Novel | ||
| Acts | Luke | 85 | Koine Greek | 18450 | History | New Testament | |
| Matthew | Matthew | 85 | Koine Greek | 18346 | History | New Testament | |
| Luke | Luke | 85 | Koine Greek | 19482 | History | New Testament | |
| Against Apion | Flavius Josephus | 93 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Apologetic | ||
| Jewish Antiquities | Josephus | 94 | Koine Greek | 200000 | History | ||
| John | John | 95 | Koine Greek | 15635 | History | New Testament | |
| 3 John | John | 95 | Koine Greek | 219 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| 2 John | John | 95 | Koine Greek | 245 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| Revelation | John | 95 | Koine Greek | 9852 | Apocalypse | New Testament | |
| 1 John | John | 95 | Koine Greek | 2141 | Epistle | New Testament | |
| 1 Clement | Clement of Rome | 96 | Koine Greek | 9000 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| Didache | Unknown | 100 | Koine Greek | 2000 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| Parallel Lives (50 biographies) | Plutarch | 100 | Koine Greek | 300000 | Biography | ||
| Orations (80 speeches) | Dio Chrysostom | 100 | Koine Greek | 150000 | Oratory | ||
| On the Sublime | Longinus (attrib.) | 100 | Koine Greek | 13000 | Miscellaneous | ||
| Moralia (78 essays) | Plutarch | 100 | Koine Greek | 400000 | Philosophy | ||
| Life (Vita) | Flavius Josephus | 100 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Biography | ||
| Discourses (Books 1-4) | Epictetus | 108 | Koine Greek | 40000 | Philosophy | 50% | |
| To the Philippians | Polycarp | 110 | Koine Greek | 1800 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| To the Magnesians | Ignatius of Antioch | 110 | Koine Greek | 2000 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| To Polycarp | Ignatius of Antioch | 110 | Koine Greek | 1400 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| To the Romans | Ignatius of Antioch | 110 | Koine Greek | 2300 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| To the Ephesians | Ignatius of Antioch | 110 | Koine Greek | 2100 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| To the Philadelphians | Ignatius of Antioch | 110 | Koine Greek | 1400 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| To the Trallians | Ignatius of Antioch | 110 | Koine Greek | 1700 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| To the Smyrnaeans | Ignatius of Antioch | 110 | Koine Greek | 2300 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| Enchiridion (Handbook) | Epictetus | 125 | Koine Greek | 5000 | Philosophy | ||
| Ephesian Tale (Anthia and Habrocomes) | Xenophon of Ephesus | 125 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Novel | ||
| Epistle of Barnabas | Barnabas | 130 | Koine Greek | 13000 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| 2 Clement | Unknown | 130 | Koine Greek | 3500 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| Gynecology | Soranus of Ephesus | 130 | Koine Greek | 50000 | Medicine | 90% | |
| Indica | Arrian | 130 | Koine Greek | 15000 | History | ||
| Anabasis of Alexander | Arrian | 140 | Koine Greek | 60000 | History | ||
| Epistle to Diognetus | Unknown | 150 | Koine Greek | 3000 | Epistle | Apostolic Fathers | |
| Shepherd of Hermas | Hermas | 150 | Koine Greek | 50000 | Apocalypse | Apostolic Fathers | |
| Geography | Ptolemy | 150 | Koine Greek | 40000 | Miscellaneous | ||
| Description of Greece (10 books) | Pausanias | 150 | Koine Greek | 120000 | History | ||
| Almagest (astronomy) | Ptolemy | 150 | Koine Greek | 80000 | Physics | ||
| Tetrabiblos (Apotelesmatika) | Ptolemy | 150 | Koine Greek | 40000 | Miscellaneous | ||
| Bibliotheca | Pseudo-Apollodorus | 150 | Koine Greek | 35000 | Mythology | ||
| Martyrdom of Polycarp | Unknown | 155 | Koine Greek | 3000 | Biography | Apostolic Fathers | |
| First Apology | Justin Martyr | 155 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| Dialogue with Trypho | Justin Martyr | 160 | Koine Greek | 40000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| Dialogues of the Gods | Lucian | 160 | Classical Greek | 20000 | Satire | ||
| True History | Lucian | 160 | Classical Greek | 15000 | Satire | ||
| Roman History (civil wars) | Appian | 160 | Koine Greek | 80000 | History | ||
| Lucius or the Ass | Lucian (attrib.) | 160 | Classical Greek | 20000 | Novel | ||
| Second Apology | Justin Martyr | 161 | Koine Greek | 5000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| Address to the Greeks | Tatian | 165 | Koine Greek | 10000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| On Pascha | Melito of Sardis | 170 | Koine Greek | 2000 | Homily | Early Church Fathers | |
| On the Natural Faculties | Galen | 170 | Koine Greek | 30000 | Medicine | ||
| On the Usefulness of the Parts of the Body (De Usu Partium) | Galen | 170 | Koine Greek | 150000 | Medicine | ||
| Leucippe and Clitophon | Achilles Tatius | 175 | Koine Greek | 50000 | Novel | ||
| A Plea for the Christians | Athenagoras of Athens | 177 | Koine Greek | 5000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| Against Heresies (Book 1) | Irenaeus of Lyons | 180 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Theology | 40% | Early Church Fathers |
| Method of Healing (14 books) | Galen | 180 | Koine Greek | 100000 | Medicine | ||
| Meditations (To Himself) | Marcus Aurelius | 180 | Koine Greek | 18000 | Philosophy | ||
| Halieutica (Fishing) | Oppian | 180 | Homeric Greek | 40000 | Poetry | ||
| To Autolycus | Theophilus of Antioch | 181 | Koine Greek | 10000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| Protrepticus | Clement of Alexandria | 190 | Koine Greek | 10000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| Stromata (Miscellanies) | Clement of Alexandria | 200 | Koine Greek | 200000 | Theology | 85% | Early Church Fathers |
| Outlines of Pyrrhonism | Sextus Empiricus | 200 | Koine Greek | 30000 | Philosophy | ||
| Deipnosophistae (banquet) | Athenaeus | 200 | Koine Greek | 350000 | Miscellaneous | ||
| Historical Miscellany (Varia Historia) | Aelian | 200 | Koine Greek | 50000 | History | ||
| Daphnis and Chloe | Longus | 200 | Koine Greek | 25000 | Novel | ||
| Fabulae | Babrius | 200 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Poetry | 70% | |
| Apostolic Tradition | Hippolytus of Rome | 215 | Koine Greek | 5000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Life of Apollonius of Tyana | Philostratus | 220 | Classical Greek | 100000 | Biography | ||
| Refutation of All Heresies | Hippolytus of Rome | 222 | Koine Greek | 50000 | Theology | 40% | Early Church Fathers |
| On First Principles | Origen | 225 | Koine Greek | 30000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Roman History (Books 36-60) | Dio Cassius | 229 | Koine Greek | 200000 | History | ||
| Against Celsus | Origen | 248 | Koine Greek | 80000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| Lives of Eminent Philosophers | Diogenes Laertius | 250 | Koine Greek | 180000 | Biography | ||
| Arithmetica | Diophantus | 250 | Koine Greek | 60000 | Mathematics | 77% | |
| Letter to Novatian | Dionysius of Alexandria | 260 | Koine Greek | 2000 | Epistle | Early Church Fathers | |
| Letters (Selected) | Dionysius of Alexandria | 260 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Epistle | Early Church Fathers | |
| Letter to Dionysius of Rome | Dionysius of Alexandria | 262 | Koine Greek | 1500 | Epistle | Early Church Fathers | |
| Enneads (6 books) | Plotinus | 270 | Koine Greek | 100000 | Philosophy | ||
| Banquet of the Ten Virgins (Symposium) | Methodius of Olympus | 300 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Oration on the Psalms | Methodius of Olympus | 300 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Homily | Early Church Fathers | |
| On the Pythagorean Life | Iamblichus | 300 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Biography | ||
| Aethiopica (Ethiopian Story) | Heliodorus of Emesa | 300 | Koine Greek | 80000 | Novel | ||
| On Free Will (Aglaophon) | Methodius of Olympus | 305 | Koine Greek | 10000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Preparation for the Gospel | Eusebius of Caesarea | 313 | Koine Greek | 150000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| On the Incarnation | Athanasius of Alexandria | 318 | Koine Greek | 10000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Proof of the Gospel (Demonstratio Evangelica) | Eusebius of Caesarea | 320 | Koine Greek | 120000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| Ecclesiastical History | Eusebius of Caesarea | 325 | Koine Greek | 100000 | History | Early Church Fathers | |
| Against the Heathen | Athanasius of Alexandria | 335 | Koine Greek | 12000 | Apologetic | Early Church Fathers | |
| Against the Arians (Oration 1) | Athanasius of Alexandria | 339 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Orations Against the Arians (Oration 2) | Athanasius of Alexandria | 340 | Koine Greek | 14000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Life of Constantine | Eusebius of Caesarea | 340 | Koine Greek | 50000 | Biography | Early Church Fathers | |
| Collection (Synagoge) | Pappus of Alexandria | 340 | Koine Greek | 150000 | Mathematics | 75% | |
| Mystagogical Catecheses (1–5) | Cyril of Jerusalem | 350 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Catechetical Lectures (1–18) | Cyril of Jerusalem | 350 | Koine Greek | 35000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Posthomerica | Quintus Smyrnaeus | 350 | Homeric Greek | 90000 | Epic | ||
| Letter to Constantius | Cyril of Jerusalem | 351 | Koine Greek | 2000 | Epistle | Early Church Fathers | |
| Letters to Serapion on the Holy Spirit (1-3) | Athanasius of Alexandria | 359 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Epistle | Early Church Fathers | |
| Life of Antony | Athanasius of Alexandria | 360 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Biography | Early Church Fathers | |
| Letter to the Emperor | Cyril of Jerusalem | 362 | Koine Greek | 1500 | Epistle | Early Church Fathers | |
| Against Eunomius | Basil the Great | 364 | Koine Greek | 50000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Morals (from the Longer Rules) | Basil the Great | 370 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Letters (Books 1-3) | Basil the Great | 370 | Koine Greek | 30000 | Epistle | Early Church Fathers | |
| On Virginity | Gregory of Nyssa | 370 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Ancoratus | Epiphanius of Salamis | 374 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| On the Holy Spirit | Basil the Great | 375 | Koine Greek | 15000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Panarion (Books 1-80) | Epiphanius of Salamis | 377 | Koine Greek | 300000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Theological Orations | Gregory of Nazianzus | 379 | Koine Greek | 30000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Funeral Oration for Basil | Gregory of Nazianzus | 379 | Koine Greek | 8000 | Biography | Early Church Fathers | |
| Against Eunomius | Gregory of Nyssa | 379 | Koine Greek | 60000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Oration 38: On the Theophany | Gregory of Nazianzus | 379 | Koine Greek | 5000 | Homily | Early Church Fathers | |
| Hexaemeron | Basil the Great | 379 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Homily | Early Church Fathers | |
| On the Life of Moses | Gregory of Nyssa | 380 | Koine Greek | 25000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Catechetical Discourse | Gregory of Nyssa | 380 | Koine Greek | 20000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers | |
| Oration 27: On the Baptism of Christ | Gregory of Nazianzus | 380 | Koine Greek | 6000 | Homily | Early Church Fathers | |
| On the Trinity | Gregory of Nyssa | 380 | Koine Greek | 10000 | Theology | Early Church Fathers |
Why are there so few surviving Greek works between 150 BC and 30 BC?
If you browse the table by date, one significant gap stands out more than any other. The 120 year gap between 150 and 30 BC corresponds to the late Hellenistic period, a time of significant cultural and political transition in the Greek world following Alexander the Great’s conquests and leading into full Roman dominance. While this era produced a wealth of literature—particularly in scholarship, philosophy, history, geography, and poetry—relatively few complete or substantially intact works (meeting our >40% survival threshold) have survived compared to earlier Classical or later Roman-period Greek texts. Significant historical factors affecting preservation include:
- Destruction of Libraries: Many texts from this period were housed in major libraries like those in Alexandria, Pergamon, or Athens, which suffered damage or destruction through wars, fires, and neglect. For example, the Roman conquests, including the partial burning of Alexandria’s library during Julius Caesar’s campaign in 48 BC led to significant losses. Surviving manuscripts often relied on later Roman or Byzantine copying, which prioritized earlier classic works by authors such as Homer and Plato over contemporary Hellenistic ones.
- Nature of the literature: Late Hellenistic writing was often specialized (e.g., commentaries, technical treatises, or compilations) rather than grand epics or dramas. You can see examples of this in the table: between 250 and 200 BC we only have six works listed, all in Mathematics. Philosophers like Posidonius or historians like Timagenes wrote extensively, but their works exist mostly as fragments quoted in later authors like Strabo or Josephus. Poetry was common (e.g., epigrams), but often short-form and preserved in anthologies compiled centuries later.
- Shift to Roman influence: By the 1st century BC, Greek intellectuals increasingly worked under Roman patronage. Latin was the primary language of Rome. Some “Greek” works from this time lean toward Roman topics, and survival favored those integrated into Latin traditions.
Primary Sources for Table Data
Below is a summary of our primary sources. These were selected for reliability, open access, and focus on Greek original texts.
- Perseus Digital Library (Tufts University) This is a comprehensive open-access repository of ancient Greek and Latin texts, with searchable metadata, translations, and tools for word/line counts.
- Thesaurus Linguae Graecae (TLG, University of California, Irvine) Includes over 10,000 Greek texts from Homer to the Byzantine era, with advanced search for word frequencies and metadata.
- Packard Humanities Institute (PHI) Classical Texts A free database of Greek and Latin inscriptions and papyri, with literary texts up to ~300 AD.
- Early Christian Writings and Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) Curated collections of patristic texts with timelines, translations, and manuscript notes.
- Wikipedia’s “Ancient Text Corpora” Entry Overview pages aggregating digitized corpora, with links to TLG/Perseus and manuscript dates.