WARNING: THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS. ENTRIES WILL SLOWLY BE ADDED OVER THE COURSE OF 2021.
The pages linked here provide fairly brief summaries of Greek authors, their works, and their impact and influence. A brief description of the eras is also provided. To get a larger sense of the overall chronology of Greek literature, you can check out the Timeline of Greek Literature page.
Archaic Period
Dates after a work indicate approximate range of its composition. Dates after an author indicate an approximation of when they might have lived.
Homer
· Iliad (750–725)
· Odyssey (745–715)
Hesiod
· Theogony (700)
· Works and Days (695)
Homeric Hymns
· Hymn to Aphrodite (690–650)
· Hymn to Demeter (650–625)
· Hymn VII to Dionysus (7th century)
· Hymn to Apollo (Pythian section) (c. 586) · (Delian section) (c. 535)
· Hymn to Hermes (530–500)
· Hymn XIX to Pan (500–450)
· Hymn XX to Hephaestus (400s)
Pseudo-Homer
· Margites (550s–500s)
· Other Fragmentary Poems Attributed to Homer·
· Various Lives of Homer
Pseudo-Hesiod
· Catalogue of Women (625–575)
· Shield of Heracles (625–575)
· Other Fragmentary Poems Attributed to Hesiod
Arctinus
· Aethiopis (625–575)
· Sack of Troy (Iliupersis) (625–575)
· Other Fragmentary Poems Attributed to Hesiod
Other Epics Attributed to Otherwise Unknown Poets
· Stasinus, Cyrpia (500s)
· Shield of Heracles (625–575)
· Other Fragmentary Poems Attributed to Hesiod
Eumelus of Corinth (c. 750)
Terpander (700s–600s)
Thaletas (700s–600s)
Polymnestus (700s–600s)
Arctinus (700s–600s)
Stasinus
Agias
Lesches
Xanthus
Semonides (600s)
Archilochus (680–645)
Tyrtaeus (c. 670–570)
Alcman (7th century)
Callinus (mid 7th cent)
Solon (638–558)
Arion (fl. 620s–580s)
Chersias (late 7th cent)
Xanthus (fl. c. 650)
Mimnermus (660s–600)
Sappho (630–570)
Stesichorus (630–553)
Alcaeus (620–550)
Anaximander (610–546)
Asius (fl. 6th cent)
Theognis (6th century) and the Theognidea
Eugammon of Cyrene (6th century?)
Anaximenes (586–526)
Anacreon (575–490)
Xenophanes 570–475
Phocylides (560–)
Hipponax (fl. 540)
Ibycus (fl. 536–533)
Pigres?
Demodocus 6th cent.
Simonides (556-after 477/476)
Myrtis (fl. 5th century, supposed teacher of Pindar and Corinna)
Telesilla (fl. 450?)
Heraclitus (535–475)
Classical Period
Aeschylus (525-456)
Pratinus (contemporary with Aeschylus)
Melanippides (c. 520–440)
Timocreon (fl. 480s–470s)
Corinna (fl. )
Pindar (522–443)
Bacchylides (518–430)
Xanthus the Lydian (b. c. 499)
Sophocles (497–406)
Empedocles (494–434)
Ion of Chios (c. 485–421)
Herodotus (484–425)
Gorgias (483–375)
Diagoras of Melos (born c. 482)
Antiphon of Rhamnus (480–411)
Euripides (c. 480–406)
Thucydides (460–400)
Democritus (460–370)
Cinesias (c. 450–390)
Timotheus of Miletus (c. 448–358)
Agathon (c. 448–400)
Aristophanes (c. 446–386)
Lysias (445–380)
Andocides (c. 440–390)
Isocrates (436–338)
Philoxenus (435/434–380/379)
Xenophon (430–354)
Plato (428–348)
Isaeus (c. 420–348)
Lycurgus of Athens (c. 390–324)
Hyperides (c. 390–322)
Aeschines (389–314)
Aristotle (384–322)
Demosthenes (384–322)
Dinarchus (c. 361–291)
HELLENISTIC PERIOD
Callimachus
Polybius
Apollonius of Rhodes
Bion
Moschus
Baton
Theocritus
Manetho
Berossus
ROMAN PERIOD
Appian
Dionysius of Halicarnassus
Josephus