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. |