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Ancient literature facts for kids

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Ancient literature comprises religious and scientific documents, tales, poetry and plays, royal edicts and declarations, and other forms of writing that were recorded on a variety of media, including stone, clay tablets, papyri, palm leaves, and metal. Before the spread of writing, oral literature did not always survive well, but some texts and fragments have persisted. One can conclude that an unknown number of written works too have likely not survived the ravages of time and are therefore lost.

Incomplete list of ancient texts

Bronze Age

See also: Sumerian literature, Akkadian literature, Ancient Egyptian literature, Hittite texts, and Ugaritic texts

Early Bronze Age: 3rd millennium BC (approximate dates shown). The earliest written literature dates from about 2600 BC (classical Sumerian). The earliest literary author known by name is Enheduanna, a Sumerian priestess and public figure dating to ca. 24th century BC. Certain literary texts are difficult to date, such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which was recorded in the Papyrus of Ani around 1240 BC, but other versions of the book probably date from about the 18th century BC.

  • 2600: Sumerian texts from Abu Salabikh, including the Instructions of Shuruppak and the Kesh temple hymn
  • 2600: Egyptian The Life of Metjen, from Saqqara
  • 2500: Egyptian Diary of Merer (Oldest papyrus), Instruction of Hardjedef
  • 2500: Sumerian Hymn to Enlil and Enlil and Ninlil
  • 2500: Sumerian Debate between sheep and grain
  • 2400: Sumerian Code of Urukagina
  • 2375: Egyptian The Maxims of Ptahhotep
  • 2323: Egyptian Pyramid Texts
  • 2283: Egyptian Palermo stone
  • 2270: Sumerian Enheduanna's Hymns
  • 2250: Egyptian Autobiography of Weni
  • 2250–2000: Earliest Sumerian stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh
  • 2200: Egyptian Autobiography of Harkhuf
  • 2125: Sumerian Building of Ningirsu's Temple
  • 2100: Sumerian Curse of Agade
  • 2100: Sumerian Debate between Bird and Fish
  • 2100: Sumerian Inanna's Descent into the Underworld
  • 2100: Sumerian Self-praise of Shulgi
  • 2100: Sumerian Code of Ur-Nammu and the Song of the hoe
  • 2050: Egyptian The Satire of the Trades
  • 2000: Egyptian Coffin Texts and Teaching for King Merykara
  • 2000: Sumerian Lament for Ur and Lament for Sumer and Ur
  • 2000: Sumerian Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta
  • 2000: Sumerian Debate between Winter and Summer

Middle Bronze Age: ca. 2000 to 1600 BC (approximate dates shown)

  • 2000–1900: Egyptian Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor, the Prophecy of Neferti, and the first of the Harper's Songs
  • 1950: Akkadian Laws of Eshnunna and Hymn to Ištar
  • 1950: Egyptian Instructions of Amenemhat, the Akhmim wooden tablets, and the Heqanakht papyri
  • 1900: Akkadian Legend of Etana
  • 1900: Sumerian Code of Lipit-Ishtar
  • 1900: Egyptian Instructions of Kagemni
  • 1900: Akkadian Summa izbu and Šumma ālu
  • 1900: Akkadian Namburbi
  • 1900: Akkadian Iškar Zaqīqu
  • 1859–1840: Egyptian The Eloquent Peasant
  • 1859–1840: Egyptian Story of Sinuhe (in Hieratic)
  • 1859–1840: Egyptian Dispute between a man and his Ba
  • 1859–1813: Egyptian Loyalist Teaching
  • 1850: Akkadian Kultepe texts, Bārûtu, the Counsels of Wisdom, the Cuthean Legend of Naram-Sin, the Iškar Zaqīqu, and the Labbu Myth
  • 1800: Akkadian Enûma Eliš
  • 1800: Sumerian Correspondence of the Kings of Ur
  • 1800: Egyptian Berlin Papyrus 6619 and the Moscow Mathematical Papyrus
  • 1780: Akkadian Mari letters, including the Epic of Zimri-Lim
  • 1754: Akkadian Code of Hammurabi stele
  • 1750: Hittite Anitta text
  • 1750: Akkadian Agushaya Hymn
  • 1700: Akkadian Atra-Hasis epic
  • 1700: Egyptian Westcar Papyrus
  • 1700: Akkadian Epic of Gilgamesh
  • 1650: Egyptian Ipuwer Papyrus and the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus
  • 1650: Sumerian Dialogue between a Man and His God
  • 1600: Akkadian Eridu Genesis and Enuma Anu Enlil
  • 1600: Egyptian Edwin Smith Papyrus

Late Bronze Age: ca. 1600 to 1200 BC (approximate dates shown)

  • 1600: Hittite Code of the Nesilim
  • 1600: Akkadian Ḫulbazizi
  • 1500–1200: Sanskrit Rig Veda
  • 1550: Egyptian Instruction of Any, King Neferkare and General Sasenet, the Tale of the Doomed Prince, the Litany of Re, and the Ebers Papyrus
  • 1550: Akkadian Bullussa-rabi's Hymn to Gula
  • 1500: Akkadian Poor Man of Nippur
  • 1500: Hittite military oath
  • 1500–1200: Ugaritic Legend of Keret
  • 1500–1300: Ugaritic Baal Cycle
  • 1550: Egyptian Book of the Dead
  • 1500: Akkadian Dynasty of Dunnum
  • 1500: Akkadian Chronicle of Early Kings
  • 1450: Egyptian The Taking of Joppa
  • 1450: Akkadian Assyrian law
  • 1425: Egyptian Amduat
  • 1400: Akkadian Marriage of Nergal and Ereshkigal
  • 1400: Akkadian Autobiography of Kurigalzu
  • 1400: Akkadian Amarna letters
  • 1350: Ugaritic Tale of Aqhat
  • 1350: Akkadian Šurpu
  • 1330: Egyptian Great Hymn to the Aten
  • 1300: Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope, Papyrus Anastasi I
  • 1300: Akkadian Ludlul bēl nēmeqi, the Dream of Kurigalzu, The Hemerology for Nazi-Maruttaš, Iqqur Ipuš, and Summa izbu
  • 1274: Akkadian Adad-nārāri Epic
  • 1240: Egyptian Papyrus of Ani, Book of the Dead
  • 1200–900: Akkadian version and younger stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh
  • 1200: Akkadian Tukulti-Ninurta Epic
  • 1200: Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers

Iron Age

See also: Sanskrit literature

Iron Age texts predating Classical Antiquity: 12th to 8th centuries BC

  • 1200: The Yajurveda, Atharvaveda, and Samaveda
  • 1100: Akkadian Šumma sinništu qaqqada rabāt
  • 1050: Egyptian Story of Wenamun
  • 1050: Akkadian Sakikkū (SA.GIG) "Diagnostic Omens" by Esagil-kin-apli.
  • 1050: Akkadian Alamdimmû
  • 1050: The Babylonian Theodicy of Šaggil-kīnam-ubbib.
  • 1010: Akkadian Royal Inscription of Simbar-Šipak
  • 1000: Chinese Classic of Poetry (Shījīng)
  • 1000: Akkadian Dialogue of Pessimism, Chronicle P, Maglû, Bīt rimki, Zu-buru-dabbeda, Advice to a Prince, Asakkū marsūtu, the Great Prayer to Šamaš, the MUL.APIN, the Sag-gig-ga-meš, and Šēp lemutti
  • 900: Akkadian Epic of Erra
  • 900: Vedic Sanskrit Aranyaka

Classical Antiquity

For more details, see Ancient Greek literature, Syriac literature, Latin literature, Indian literature, Ancient Hebrew writings, Avesta, Chinese literature, and Tamil literature
See also: 7th century BC in poetry, 6th century BC in poetry, 5th century BC in poetry, 4th century BC in poetry, 3rd century BC in poetry, 2nd century BC in poetry, and 1st century BC in poetry

9th century BC

8th century BC

  • Greek:
  • Sanskrit:
    • Brahmanas
    • Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
    • Isha Upanishad
    • Chandogya Upanishad
    • Aitareya Upanishad
    • Taittiriya Upanishad
  • Akkadian:
    • The Chronicle of the Market Prices
    • The Hymn to Ninurta as Savior
    • The Mîs-pî

7th century BC

  • Vedic Sanskrit
    • Shulba Sutra (containing geometry related to fire-altar construction)
      • Manava Sulbasutra
      • Baudhayana sutra
    • Shatapatha Brahmana – Commentary on the Vedas
    • Nirukta (technical treatise on etymology, lexical category and the semantics of Sanskrit words)
    • Kausitaka Upanishad
  • Greek:
  • Paleo-Hebrew alphabet
    • Ketef Hinnom amulets, the oldest found Biblical text (amulets with the Priestly Blessing, which are recorded in the Book of Numbers)
  • Chinese:
    • Classic of Documents (Shūjīng) (authentic portions)
  • Akkadian:

6th century BC

5th century BC

4th century BC

3rd century BC

  • Avestan: Avesta
  • Etruscan: Liber Linteus Zagrabiensis (Linen Book of Zagreb)
  • Sanskrit:
  • Elu (Sri Lankan Prakrit): Sīhalattakathā or Hela Atuwā (Pali commentaries of Buddhist teachings that were translated into Sinhalese after the introduction of Buddhism to Sri Lanka)
  • Tamil:
    • 3rd century BC to 3rd century AD: Sangam poems
    • Tolkāppiyam (grammar book)
    • Korakkar (3rd century BC) Siddhar, Physician, Philosopher
    • Bogar (3rd century BC) Siddhar, Physician, Yogi
    • Agattiyam
  • Hebrew: Ecclesiastes
  • Greek:
  • Latin:
    • Lucius Livius Andronicus (c. 280/260 BC — c. 200 BC), translator, founder of Roman drama
    • Gnaeus Naevius (c. 264 — 201 BC), dramatist, epic poet
    • Titus Maccius Plautus (c. 254 — 184 BC), dramatist, composer of comedies: Poenulus, Miles Gloriosus, and other plays
    • Quintus Fabius Pictor (3rd century BC), historian
    • Lucius Cincius Alimentus (3rd century BC), military historian and antiquarian
  • Egyptian:
    • The Demotic Chronicle
    • The Oracle of the Potter
  • Akkadian:
    • The Crimes and Sacrileges of Nabu-šuma-iškun
    • The Religious Chronicle

2nd century BC

  • Sanskrit
    • Patanjali (Founder of Yoga School of Philosophy):Mahābhāṣya (Treatise on grammar and linguistics), Patanjalatantra (medical text), Yoga sūtras
    • Badrayana (Founder of Vedanta School of Philosophy):Brahma Sutras
    • Manu:Manusmriti(Laws of Manu)
  • Avestan: Vendidad
  • Chinese: Sima Qian: Records of the Grand Historian (Shǐjì)
  • Aramaic: Book of Daniel
  • Hebrew: Sirach
  • Greek
  • Latin:
    • Terence (195/185 BC — 159 BC), comic dramatist: The Brothers, The Girl from Andros, Eunuchus, The Self-Tormentor
    • Quintus Ennius (239 BC — c. 169 BC), poet
    • Marcus Pacuvius (c. 220 BC — 130 BC), tragic dramatist, poet
    • Statius Caecilius (220 BC — 168/166 BC), comic dramatist
    • Marcius Porcius Cato (234 BC — 149 BC), generalist, topical writer
    • Gaius Acilius (2nd century BC), historian
    • Lucius Accius (170 BC — c. 86 BC), tragic dramatist, philologist
    • Gaius Lucilius (c. 160s BC — 103/2 BC), satirist
    • Quintus Lutatius Catulus (2nd century BC), public officer, epigrammatist
    • Aulus Furius Antias (2nd century BC), poet
    • Gaius Julius Caesar Strabo Vopiscus (130 BC — 87 BC), public officer, tragic dramatist
    • Lucius Pomponius Bononiensis (2nd century BC), comic dramatist, satirist
    • Lucius Cassius Hemina (2nd century BC), historian
    • Lucius Calpurnius Piso Frugi (2nd century BC), historian
    • Manius Manilius (2nd century BC), public officer, jurist
    • Lucius Coelius Antipater (2nd century BC), jurist, historian
    • Publius Sempronius Asellio (158 BC — after 91 BC), military officer, historian
    • Gaius Sempronius Tuditanus (2nd century BC), jurist
    • Lucius Afranius (2nd & 1st centuries BC), comic dramatist
    • Titus Albucius (2nd & 1st centuries BC), orator
    • Publius Rutilius Rufus (158 BC — after 78 BC), jurist
    • Quintus Lutatius Catulus (2nd & 1st centuries BC), public officer, poet
    • Lucius Aelius Stilo Praeconinus (154 BC — 74 BC), philologist
    • Quintus Claudius Quadrigarius (2nd & 1st centuries BC), historian
    • Valerius Antias (2nd & 1st centuries BC), historian
    • Lucius Cornelius Sisenna (121 BC — 67 BC), soldier, historian
    • Quintus Cornificius (2nd & 1st centuries BC), rhetorician
  • Pali: Tipitaka

1st century BC

See also: Middle Persian literature
  • Pali (Sri Lanka): Pāli Tripiṭaka (Written under the patronage of King Vattagamani of Anuradhapura in Aluhihare, Matale)
  • Latin:

1st century AD

  • Sanskrit
    • Śabara:Sābara-bhāṣyam
    • Gunadhara:Kasayapahuda
    • Aśvaghoṣa:Buddhacharita (Acts of the Buddha),Saundarananda, Sutralankara
  • Chinese: Ban Gu: Book of Han (Hànshū)
  • Greek:
    • Plutarch: Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans
    • Josephus: The Jewish War, Antiquities of the Jews, Against Apion
    • The books of the New Testament of the Christian Bible and the Didache
  • Latin: see Classical Latin
  • Egyptian:
    • The Oracle of the Lamb

2nd century

3rd century

  • Avestan: Khordeh Avesta (Zoroastrian prayer book)
  • Pahlavi: Mani: Shabuhragan (Manichaean holy book)
  • Chinese:
    • Chen Shou: Records of Three Kingdoms (Sānguó Zhì)
    • Zhang Hua: Bowuzhi
  • Greek: Plotinus: Enneads
  • Latin: see Late Latin
    • Distichs of Cato
  • Hebrew: Mishnah
  • Pali (Sri Lanka): Dīpavaṃsa

Late Antiquity

See also: 4th century in poetry and 5th century in poetry

4th century

  • Latin: see Late Latin
    • Augustine of Hippo: Confessions, On Christian Doctrine
    • Faltonia Betitia Proba: Cento Vergilianus de laudibus Christi ("A Virgilian Cento Concerning the Glory of Christ")
    • Apicius (De re coquinaria, "On the Subject of Cooking")
    • Pervigilium Veneris ("Vigil of Venus")
  • Sanskrit
    • Asanga:Dharma-dharmata-vibhaga(Distinguishing Phenomena and Pure Being), Mahāyānasaṃgraha (Summary of the Great Vehicle)
    • Vasubandhu:Verses on the Treasury of the Abhidharma, Pañcaskandhaprakaraṇa (Explanation of the Five Aggregates), Pañcaskandhaprakaraṇa (Explanation of the Five Aggregates),Vyākhyāyukti ("Proper Mode of Exposition"), Vādavidhi ("Rules for Debate"), Dharmadharmatāvibhāgavṛtti (Commentary on Distinguishing Elements from Reality), Madhyāntavibhāgabhāṣya (Commentary on Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes), Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkārabhāṣya (Commentary on the Ornament to the Great Vehicle Discourses)
    • Dignāga:Pramāṇa-samuccaya (Compendium of Valid Cognition),Hetucakra (The wheel of reason)
    • Haribhadra:Anekāntajayapatākā [The Victory Banner of Anekantavada (Relativism)],Dhūrtākhyāna (The Rogue's Stories),Yogadṛṣṭisamuccaya (An Array of Views on Yoga),Ṣaḍdarśanasamuccaya (Compendium of Six Philosophies)
  • Syriac: Aphrahat, Ephrem the Syrian
  • Aramaic: Jerusalem Talmud
  • Pali (Sri Lanka): Mahāvaṃsa

5th century

  • Armenian:
  • Chinese:
    • Bao Zhao: Fu on the Ruined City (蕪城賦, Wú chéng fù)
    • Fan Ye: Book of the Later Han (後漢書, Hòuhànshū)
  • Sanskrit:
    • Kālidāsa (speculated): Abhijñānaśākuntalam (अभिज्ञान शाकुन्तलम्, "The Recognition of Shakuntala"), Meghadūta (मेघदूत, "Cloud Messenger"), Vikramōrvaśīyam (विक्रमोर्वशीयम्, "Urvashi Won by Valour", play)
    • Pujyapada:Iṣṭopadeśa (Divine Sermons), Sarvārthasiddhi (Attainment of Higher Goals), Jainendra Vyākaraṇa (Jainendra Grammar), Samādhitantra (Method of SelfContemplation), Daśabhaktyādisangraha (Collection of Ten Adorations),Śabdāvatāranyāsa (Arrangement of Words and their Forms)
    • Aryabhata: Aryabhatiya
    • Kamandaka:Nitisara(The Elements of Polity)
    • Bodhidharma:Two Entrances and Four Practices, Treatise on Realizing the Nature, Refuting Signs Treatise
    • Bhartṛhari:Vākyapadīya(Treatise on Sanskrit grammar and linguistic philosophy), Śatakatraya(The three hundred poems of moral values)
    • Siddhasena:Nyāyāvatāra, Sanmati sutra, Kalyan Mandir stotra
    • Sarvanandi:Lokavibhaga(Text on Jain Cosmology)
  • Tamil:
    • Tirukkural (Sacred verses)
    • Silappatikaram (The Tale of the Anklet)
  • Pahlavi:
    • Matigan-i Hazar Datistan (The Thousand Laws of the Magistan)
    • Frahang-i Oim-evak (Pahlavi-Avestan dictionary)
  • Pali (Sri Lanka)
    • Buddhaghosa: Visuddhimagga (The Path of Purification)
  • Latin: see Late Latin
    • Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus: De Re Militari
    • Augustine of Hippo: The City of God
    • Paulus Orosius: Seven Books of History Against the Pagans
    • Jerome: Vulgate
    • Prudentius: Psychomachia
    • Consentius's grammar
    • Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite: De Coelesti Hierarchia (Περὶ τῆς Οὐρανίας Ἱεραρχίας, "On the Celestial Hierarchy"), Mystical Theology
    • Socrates of Constantinople: Historia Ecclesiastica
  • Greek:
    • Nonnus: Dionysiaca

6th century

  • Latin: Boethius, De consolatione philosophiae ("The Consolation of Philosophy", 524).
  • Aramaic: Babylonian Talmud
  • Sanskrit:
    • Varāhamihira:Pañcasiddhāntikā ("[Treatise] on the Five [Astronomical] Canons"), Brihat-Samhita(Great Compilation)Encyclopedic Work
    • Yativṛṣabha:Tiloya Panatti(Book on Cosmology and Mathematics)
    • Virahanka
    • Prabhākara:Triputipratyaksavada ("Doctrine of Triple Perception")
    • Dharmakirti:Saṃbandhaparikṣhāvrtti (Analysis of Relations),Pramāṇaviniścaya (Ascertainment of Valid Cognition),Nyāyabinduprakaraṇa (Drop of Logic),Hetubindunāmaprakaraṇa (Drop of Reason),Saṃtānāntarasiddhināmaprakaraṇa (Proof of Others' Mindstreams),Vādanyāyanāmaprakaraṇa (Reasoning for Debate)
    • Praśastapāda :Padārtha-dharma-saṅgraha (Collection of Properties of Matter)
    • Bhāviveka:Heart of the Middle, Wisdom Lamp
    • Udyotakara:Nyāyavārttika(Work on logic)
    • Gaudapada:Mandukya Karika
  • Sinhalese:
    • Wansaththppakāsinī (Sinhalese translation of the Pali Mahāvaṃsa)
    • Sigiriya Poems ( Poems written by visitors to the citadel of Sigiriya)
  • Pali (Sri Lanka): Cūḷavaṃsa
  • Irish: Early Irish literature
    • Dallán Forgaill: Amra (life of St Columba)

See also

  • Early Medieval literature
  • List of languages by first written accounts
  • List of years in literature
  • List of oldest documents
  • List of Hebrew Bible manuscripts
  • Biblical manuscript
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