Ancient literature facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Ancient literature is a collection of very old writings. These include religious texts, scientific documents, exciting stories, poems, and plays. There were also royal orders and important announcements. People wrote these on many different materials, like stone, clay tablets, papyrus (an early form of paper), palm leaves, and even metal.

Before writing became common, stories were passed down by speaking them. These "oral literature" pieces often didn't last. Sadly, many written works from ancient times have also been lost forever.

Exploring Ancient Texts

Bronze Age Writings

The Bronze Age was a time when people started using bronze tools. This period saw some of the very first written stories and records.

Early Bronze Age Treasures

The earliest known literature dates back to around 2600 BC. This was written in the Sumerian language. The first author we know by name was Enheduanna. She was a Sumerian priestess and an important public figure around 2400 BC.

Some texts are hard to date precisely. For example, the Egyptian Book of the Dead was written on the Papyrus of Ani around 1240 BC. However, earlier versions of this book might be from about 1800 BC.

Here are some important writings from this time:

Around 2600 BC, Sumerian texts like the Instructions of Shuruppak gave advice on life.
The Epic of Gilgamesh began to be told around 2250 BC. It's one of the oldest epic poems.
Ancient Egyptians wrote Pyramid Texts (around 2323 BC) inside pyramids. These were spells to help pharaohs in the afterlife.
The Code of Ur-Nammu (around 2100 BC) was one of the earliest law codes.

Middle Bronze Age Stories

From about 2000 to 1600 BC, more diverse literature appeared.

The Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor (around 2000 BC) is an exciting Egyptian adventure story.
The Code of Hammurabi (around 1754 BC) is a famous set of laws from Babylon. It was carved on a large stone pillar.
The Atra-Hasis epic (around 1700 BC) tells a story similar to the biblical flood.
The Epic of Gilgamesh continued to develop with new versions.

Late Bronze Age Records

This period, from 1600 to 1200 BC, saw more complex texts.

The Rig Veda (1500–1200 BC) is a collection of ancient Indian hymns. It's one of the oldest sacred texts in the world.
The Egyptian Book of the Dead became very popular. It contained spells and prayers for the journey through the afterlife.
The Amarna letters (around 1400 BC) were diplomatic letters between Egypt and other ancient kingdoms. They give us a peek into ancient politics.

Iron Age Writings

The Iron Age (12th to 8th centuries BC) brought new forms of writing and important religious texts.

The Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, and Samaveda (around 1200 BC) are other important Hindu scriptures.
The Chinese Classic of Poetry (around 1000 BC) is a collection of ancient Chinese poems and songs.
The Epic of Erra (around 900 BC) is a Babylonian epic poem about war and plague.

Classical Antiquity Texts

This era, starting around the 9th century BC, includes famous Greek, Roman, and other ancient works.

9th Century BC

The Chinese Classic of Changes (I Ching) is an ancient book used for divination and wisdom.

8th Century BC

The Greek Iliad and Odyssey were written by Homer. These epic poems tell stories of the Trojan War and the hero Odysseus's journey home. They are cornerstones of Western literature.
In India, the Upanishads began to be written. These are philosophical texts that form part of the Hindu scriptures.

7th Century BC

The Greek poet Hesiod wrote Theogony (about the birth of the gods) and Works and Days (about farming and morality).
The Ketef Hinnom scrolls are tiny silver amulets from ancient Israel. They contain the oldest known biblical text, a blessing from the Book of Numbers.
The Chinese Classic of Documents (Shūjīng) contains speeches and historical records.

6th Century BC

The Cyrus Cylinder is an ancient clay cylinder from Persia. It describes the conquest of Babylon by Cyrus the Great.
In India, Sushruta wrote the Sushruta Samhita, an important book on surgery and medicine.
The Greek poet Sappho wrote beautiful lyric poems, mostly about love and beauty.
Aesop's Fables are short stories with moral lessons, often featuring animals.

5th Century BC

The Chinese philosopher Confucius wrote Analects (Lúnyǔ). This book contains his teachings on ethics and morality.
Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War (Sūnzǐ Bīngfǎ), a famous military strategy book.
Greek historians like Herodotus (The Histories of Herodotus) and Thucydides (History of the Peloponnesian War) wrote detailed accounts of past events.
Famous Greek playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides wrote tragedies. Aristophanes wrote comedies. Their plays are still performed today.
The Torah, the central text of Judaism, was completed in its current form.

4th Century BC

The Chinese philosopher Laozi wrote Tao Te Ching, a key text of Taoism.
In India, Chanakya wrote Arthashastra, a detailed guide on politics, economics, and military strategy.
The great Indian epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, were composed. These are long narrative poems that are very important in Hindu culture.
Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle wrote many influential works. Plato's Republic discusses justice and ideal societies. Aristotle wrote on almost every subject, from ethics to physics.
Euclid wrote Elements, a foundational work on geometry.

3rd Century BC

The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, an ancient Persian religion.
The Panchatantra from India is a collection of animal fables with moral lessons.
The Tolkāppiyam is an ancient Tamil grammar book, showing the early development of the Tamil language.
The Greek poet Apollonius of Rhodes wrote Argonautica, an epic about Jason and the Argonauts.
In Rome, Plautus wrote comedies that influenced later European theater.

2nd Century BC

The Chinese historian Sima Qian wrote Records of the Grand Historian (Shǐjì), a massive history of China.
The Book of Daniel and Sirach are important texts from the Hebrew Bible.
The Septuagint is an early Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.
Roman playwright Terence wrote comedies.
The Tipitaka is the main collection of Buddhist scriptures in the Pali language.

1st Century BC

In Sri Lanka, the Pāli Tripiṭaka was written down.
Famous Roman writers include Cicero (known for his speeches and philosophical works), Julius Caesar (who wrote about his military campaigns in Gallic Wars), and Virgil (who wrote the epic poem Aeneid about the founding of Rome).
Livy began writing his monumental History of Rome.

Late Antiquity Writings

This period, from the 4th to the 6th centuries AD, saw the rise of new empires and religions.

1st Century AD

The Buddhacharita by Aśvaghoṣa tells the story of the Buddha's life.
The Chinese historian Ban Gu wrote Book of Han (Hànshū), a history of the Western Han dynasty.
The Greek historian Plutarch wrote Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans, comparing famous figures.
The books of the New Testament of the Christian Bible were written.
Roman writers like Tacitus (Germania), Ovid (Metamorphoses), and Pliny the Elder (Natural History) produced significant works.

2nd Century AD

The Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote Meditations, a book of Stoic philosophy.
Ptolemy wrote Almagest, an important astronomical text.
Apuleius wrote The Golden Ass, one of the few complete Roman novels that still exists.

3rd Century AD

The Khordeh Avesta is a Zoroastrian prayer book.
The Chinese historian Chen Shou wrote Records of Three Kingdoms (Sānguó Zhì), a historical text about the Three Kingdoms period in China.
The Mishnah is a foundational text of Jewish oral law.

4th Century AD

Augustine of Hippo, an important Christian theologian, wrote Confessions and The City of God.
In India, Asanga and Vasubandhu wrote important Buddhist philosophical texts.
The Jerusalem Talmud is a collection of Jewish rabbinic discussions.

5th Century AD

The Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi wrote History of Armenia.
The Indian poet Kālidāsa wrote famous plays like Abhijñānaśākuntalam ("The Recognition of Shakuntala") and poems like Meghadūta ("Cloud Messenger").
Aryabhata wrote Aryabhatiya, a key work on Indian mathematics and astronomy.
The Tirukkural is a classic Tamil text on ethics and morality.
The Silappatikaram is a famous Tamil epic poem.
Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, creating the Vulgate.

6th Century AD

Boethius wrote De consolatione philosophiae ("The Consolation of Philosophy"), a philosophical work written while he was in prison.
The Babylonian Talmud is another major collection of Jewish rabbinic discussions.
In India, Varāhamihira wrote Pañcasiddhāntikā, a work on astronomy.
The Sigiriya Poems are ancient poems written on the walls of the Sigiriya rock fortress in Sri Lanka.