BC

753

Traditional date of founding of Rome.

ca. 750–ca. 725

Iliad and Odyssey of Homer, Greek epic poet.

ca. 630

Birth of Greek lyric poet Sappho.

ca. 620

Birth of Greek lyric poet Alcaeus.

ca. 496/5–406

Sophocles, Greek writer of tragedies.

ca. 480–ca. 425

Herodotus, Greek historian.

469–399

Socrates, Greek philosopher.

ca. 465–ca. 386

Aristophanes, Greek writer of comedies.

ca. 460–ca. 400

Thucydides, Greek historian.

ca. 429–347

Plato, Greek philosopher.

ca. 342–ca. 292

Menander, Greek writer of comedies.

341–270

Epicurus, Greek philosopher.

254–184

Plautus, writer of comedies.

240–207

Livius Andronicus, writer of plays and verse in Latin.

239–169

Ennius, writer of tragedies in verse.

234–149

Cato the “Censor”, historian and general writer.

ca. 215

Fabius Pictor, first Roman historian, writing in Greek.

ca. 200–ca. 118

Polybius, Roman historian who wrote in Greek.

ca. 185–159

Terence, writer of comedies.

116–27

Varro, scholar and critic.

106–43

Cicero, orator and letter writer.

100–44

Julius Caesar, military historian.

ca. 99–ca. 55

Lucretius, poet and philosopher.

86–35

Sallust, historian.

ca. 84–54

Catullus, lyric poet.

ca. 70–8

Maecenas, patron of literature.

70–19

Virgil, epic and pastoral poet.

65–8

Horace, lyric poet.

59–ad 17

Livy, historian.

ca. 50–ca. 15

Propertius, elegiac poet.

43–ad 18

Ovid, elegiac and narrative poet.

ca. 40

Vitruvius writing treatise on architecture.

4–ad 65

Seneca the “Younger”, philosopher and scientist.

AD

23–79

Pliny the “Elder”, historian and scientist.

37–ca. 100

Josephus, Jewish historian who wrote in Aramaic and Greek.

39–65

Lucan, epic poet.

ca. 40–ca. 104

Martial, writer of verse epigrams and satire.

ca. 46–ca. 120

Plutarch, Roman historian and biographer who wrote in Greek.

ca. 55–ca. 140

Juvenal, writer of verse satire.

ca. 56–after 117

Tacitus, historian and biographer.

ca. 61–ca. 112

Pliny the “Younger”, letter writer.

66

Death of Petronius, author of Satyricon.

ca. 70–ca. 140

Suetonius, biographer.

ca. 125

Birth of Apuleius, novelist.

ca. 160

Appian, Roman historian, writing in Greek.

ca. 165–ca. 235

Cassius Dio, Roman historian who wrote in Greek.

ca. 330–ca. 395

Ammianus Marcellinus, Roman historian.