Ancient Greece
c. 800–300 BCEHomer to Aristotle. Epic poetry, tragedy, comedy, philosophy, and history — the foundation of Western literary tradition.
36 works13 authors11 genres
biographycomedydidactic poemepic poemfable collectionhistoryliterary criticismlyric poetryphilosophical dialoguephilosophical treatisetragedy
The Odyssey
Homer·c. 800 BCE
epic poemmoderate
10.0/10 influence8.5/10 popularity
18h
Theogony and Works and Days
Hesiod·800 BCE
didactic poemmoderate
6.5/10 influence4.0/10 popularity
3h
The Iliad
Homer·c. 750 BCE
epic poemchallenging
10.0/10 influence8.5/10 popularity
22h
Aesop’s Fables
Aesop·560 BCE
fable collectionaccessible
6.5/10 influence7.5/10 popularity
3h
The Complete Poems of Sappho
Sappho·550 BCE
lyric poetryaccessible
6.5/10 influence5.0/10 popularity
1.5h
Prometheus Bound
Aeschylus·480 BCE
tragedymoderate
7.0/10 influence5.5/10 popularity
1.5h
The Persians
Aeschylus·472 BCE
tragedymoderate
5.5/10 influence3.0/10 popularity
1.5h
The Seven Against Thebes
Aeschylus·467 BCE
tragedymoderate
4.5/10 influence2.5/10 popularity
1.5h
The Suppliants
Aeschylus·463 BCE
tragedymoderate
4.0/10 influence2.0/10 popularity
1.5h
The Oresteia
Aeschylus·458 BCE
tragedychallenging
8.0/10 influence5.5/10 popularity
5h
Women of Trachis
Sophocles·450 BCE
tragedymoderate
4.5/10 influence3.0/10 popularity
1.5h
Antigone
Sophocles·441 BCE
tragedyaccessible
7.0/10 influence7.0/10 popularity
2h
Ajax
Sophocles·440 BCE
tragedymoderate
4.5/10 influence3.5/10 popularity
1.5h
Alcestis
Euripides·438 BCE
tragedymoderate
4.0/10 influence3.0/10 popularity
1.5h
Medea
Euripides·431 BCE
tragedyaccessible
6.5/10 influence6.5/10 popularity
2h
The Histories
Herodotus·430 BCE
historychallenging
7.5/10 influence5.0/10 popularity
40h
Oedipus Rex
Sophocles·c. 429 BCE
tragedyaccessible
9.0/10 influence7.5/10 popularity
2h
The Acharnians
Aristophanes·425 BCE
comedymoderate
4.0/10 influence2.5/10 popularity
1.5h
The Clouds
Aristophanes·423 BCE
comedymoderate
5.0/10 influence4.5/10 popularity
1.5h
Lysistrata
Aristophanes·423 BCE
comedyaccessible
6.0/10 influence6.5/10 popularity
1.5h
Wasps
Aristophanes·422 BCE
comedymoderate
4.0/10 influence2.5/10 popularity
1.5h
Peace
Aristophanes·421 BCE
comedymoderate
4.0/10 influence2.0/10 popularity
1.5h
The Birds
Aristophanes·414 BCE
comedymoderate
4.5/10 influence3.0/10 popularity
1.5h
History of the Peloponnesian War
Thucydides·411 BCE
historychallenging
7.0/10 influence5.5/10 popularity
35h
Electra
Sophocles·410 BCE
tragedymoderate
5.5/10 influence4.0/10 popularity
1.5h
Philoctetes
Sophocles·409 BCE
tragedymoderate
4.5/10 influence3.5/10 popularity
1.5h
The Frogs
Aristophanes·405 BCE
comedymoderate
5.0/10 influence4.0/10 popularity
1.5h
The Bacchae
Euripides·405 BCE
tragedymoderate
6.5/10 influence5.5/10 popularity
2h
Oedipus at Colonus
Sophocles·401 BCE
tragedymoderate
5.5/10 influence4.0/10 popularity
2h
The Republic
Plato·400 BCE
philosophical dialoguechallenging
9.0/10 influence7.5/10 popularity
12h
Apology
Plato·399 BCE
philosophical dialogueaccessible
7.0/10 influence7.0/10 popularity
1.5h
Phaedo
Plato·380 BCE
philosophical dialoguechallenging
6.0/10 influence5.5/10 popularity
3h
The Symposium
Plato·380 BCE
philosophical dialoguemoderate
6.5/10 influence6.5/10 popularity
3h
The Nicomachean Ethics
Aristotle·350 BCE
philosophical treatisechallenging
6.5/10 influence5.5/10 popularity
12h
Poetics
Aristotle·335 BCE
literary criticismmoderate
8.5/10 influence5.5/10 popularity
3h
Plutarch's Lives
Plutarch·100
biographymoderate
7.0/10 influence5.0/10 popularity
50h