Ancient Greek (800 BCE – 350 AD)

Back to: Greek Writers

Welcome to the captivating realm of “Ancient Greek Writers.” Delve into the intellectual tapestry woven by literary luminaries of antiquity, as we navigate the rich literary landscape that shaped Western thought. From the profound philosophical musings of Plato to the timeless epics penned by Homer, this lesson unveils the genius of ancient Greek writers. Explore the enduring impact of Aesop’s fables, Aristophanes’ comedic brilliance, and the poetic mastery of Sappho. Immerse yourself in the cultural crucible that birthed democracy and myth, unlocking a deeper understanding of the foundations upon which modern literature and philosophy stand. Join us on a journey through the annals of intellectual history.

Writer	Birth	Death	Genre
Homer	750 BCE	–	Epic Poetry
Hesiod	750-700 BCE	–	Epic Poetry
Alcman	700 BCE	600 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Archilochus	680 BCE	645 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Stesichorus	630 BCE	555 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Anaximander	610 BCE	546 BCE	Philosophy
Sappho	610 BCE	570 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Thales of Miletus	626/623 BCE	548/545 BCE	Philosophy
Aesop	620 BCE	564 BCE	Fables
Alcaeus of Mytilene	620 BCE	580 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Anaximenes of Miletus	586 BCE	526 BCE	Philosophy
Theognis of Megara	570 BCE	485 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Anacreon	575 BCE	495 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Simonides of Ceos	556 BCE	468 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Heraclitus	540 BCE	480 BCE	Philosophy
Thespis	535 BCE	501 BCE	Tragedy
Aeschylus	525/24 BCE	456/455 BCE	Tragedy
Pindar	518 BCE	438 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Bacchylides	518 BCE	451 BCE	Lyric Poetry
Anaxagoras	500 BCE	428 BCE	Philosophy
Sophocles	496 BCE	406 BCE	Tragedy
Herodotus	484 BCE	430-420 BCE	History
Euripides	484 BCE	406 BCE	Tragedy
Antiphon	480 BCE	411 BCE	Rhetorics
Socrates	470 BCE	399 BCE	Philosophy
Democritus	460 BCE	370 BCE	Philosophy
Thucydides	460 BCE	404 BCE	History
Aristophanes	446 BCE	386 BCE	Comedy
Andocides	440 BCE	390 BCE	Rhetorics
Xenophon	430 BCE	354/355 BCE	History
Plato	428/427 BCE	348/347 BCE	Philosophy
Antonius Diogenes	412 BCE	323 BCE	Prose Fiction
Eubulus	405 BCE	335 BCE	Comedy
Aristotle	384 BCE	322 BCE	Philosophy, Physics, Biology
Timaeus	356 BCE	260 BCE	History
Menander	342 BCE	292 BCE	Comedy
Posidippus	316 BCE	250 BCE	Comedy
Aratus	315 BCE	240 BCE	Poetry, Astronomy
Callimachus	310 BCE	240 BCE	Aetiology, Poetry
Theocritus	300 BCE	260 BCE	Bucolic poetry
Apollonius of Rhodes	295 BCE	230 BCE	Epic Poetry
Archimedes	287 BCE	212 BCE	Mathematics, Geometry
Chrysippus	279 BCE	206 BCE	Philosophy
Polybius	200 BCE	118 BCE	History
Apollodorus of Carystus	195 BCE	159 BCE	Comedy
Cornelius Nepos	110 BCE	25 BCE	Biography
Virgil	70 BCE	19 BCE	Epic Poetry, Didactic Poetry, Pastoral Poetry
Dionysius of Halicarnassus	60 BCE	7 BCE	History
Plutarch	46 AD	119 AD	History, Biography, Philosophy
Epictetus	50 AD	135 AD	Philosophy
Arrian	86/89 AD	146/160 AD	History
Appian	95 AD	165 AD	History
Ptolemy	100 AD	170 AD	Geography, Astronomy
Achilles Tatius	100 AD	170 AD	Romance Prose
Apuleius	124 AD	170 AD	Prose Fiction
Lucian	125 AD	180 AD	Satire, Rhetoric
Athanasius of Alexandria	296/98 AD	373 AD	Theology