Period
Antiquity
6th century BCE to 5th century CE
- Thinkers
- 34
- Works
- 169
- Passages
- 33,374
- Traditions
- 10
Locate without oversimplifying
This category covers Greek, Indian, Chinese, and Roman worlds that share neither one chronology nor the same institutions. Uncertain dates remain intervals, and later transmission is not confused with probable composition.
A translation or material witness date never replaces probable composition. Pages mark dates that are missing or disputed.
Works in this period
- Testimonies and Fragments of Aristo of ChiosAristo of Chios · 3rd century BCE; fragments and testimonia transmitted later
- Eudemian EthicsAristotle · 4th century BCE; internal chronology disputed
- MetaphysicsAristotle · 4th century BCE; transmitted as a layered collection
- Nicomachean EthicsAristotle · 4th century BCE; internal chronology disputed
- PoeticsAristotle · 4th century BCE; internal chronology disputed
- PoliticsAristotle · work attested c. 335-323 BCE; earlier layers possible
- RhetoricAristotle · 4th century BCE; early core and later revisions disputed
- Aṅguttara Nikāya: Numerical DiscoursesSiddhartha Gautama / Buddha · oral strata, late 5th to 3rd centuries BCE; later Pali organization
- Dhammapada: Verses on the DhammaSiddhartha Gautama / Buddha · verse strata, 5th-2nd centuries BCE; collection attested by the 2nd century BCE
- Dīgha Nikāya: Collection of Long DiscoursesSiddhartha Gautama / Buddha · oral strata, late 5th to 3rd centuries BCE; later Pali organization
- Majjhima Nikāya: Collection of Middle-Length DiscoursesSiddhartha Gautama / Buddha · oral strata, late 5th to 3rd centuries BCE; later Pali organization
- Saṃyutta Nikāya: Connected DiscoursesSiddhartha Gautama / Buddha · oral strata, late 5th to 3rd centuries BCE; later Pali organization
- Sutta Nipāta: Early Collection of Discourses in VerseSiddhartha Gautama / Buddha · early and revised strata, 5th-3rd centuries BCE
- Ancient testimonia on CarneadesCarneades · carriers from the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE; testimonia on Carneades
- SVF II: Chrysippus on Logic and PhysicsChrysippus · 3rd century BCE; fragments and testimonia transmitted later
- SVF III: Chrysippus on EthicsChrysippus · 3rd century BCE; fragments and testimonia transmitted later
- AcademicaCicero · 45 BCE
- Brutus, or On Eminent OratorsCicero · 46 BCE
- Catilinarian OrationsCicero · 63 BCE
- Letters to AtticusCicero · 68-44 BCE
- Letters to FriendsCicero · 62-43 BCE
- Letters to QuintusCicero · 60-54 BCE
- Lucullus, Book Two of the AcademicaCicero · 45 BCE
- On DivinationCicero · 44 BCE
- On DutiesCicero · 44 BCE
- On EndsCicero · 45 BCE
- On FateCicero · 44 BCE
- On FriendshipCicero · 44 BCE
- On Old AgeCicero · 44 BCE
- On the OratorCicero · 55 BCE
- On the LawsCicero · c. 52-51 BCE
- On the Nature of the GodsCicero · 45 BCE
- On the RepublicCicero · c. 54-51 BCE
- OratorCicero · 46 BCE
- PhilippicsCicero · 44-43 BCE
- Stoic ParadoxesCicero · 46 BCE
- Tusculan DisputationsCicero · 45 BCE
- Hymn to ZeusCleanthes · 3rd century BCE; precise date unknown
- SVF I: CleanthesCleanthes · 3rd century BCE; fragments and testimonia transmitted later
- Pearson: Cleanthes fragmentsCleanthes · 3rd century BCE; fragments and testimonia transmitted later
- The Analects of Confucius (Lúnyǔ)Confucius · layered composition, mid-5th to 2nd century BCE
- Dio Chrysostom’s Diogenic OrationsDio Chrysostom · late 1st or early 2nd century CE
- Lives of Eminent Philosophers, Book VI: The Cynics, by Diogenes LaertiusDiogenes Laertius · first half of the 3rd century CE
- Philosophies for Sale, Sections 7-11, by Lucian of SamosataLucian of Samosata · c. 165 CE
- Life of Alexander, Chapter 14: The Encounter with Diogenes, by PlutarchPlutarch · c. 96-120 CE
- Pseudo-Diogenic EpistlesPseudo-Diogenes · late Hellenistic or Imperial period, 1st century BCE-2nd century CE
- Discourses of Epictetus, Recorded by ArrianEpictetus · teaching recorded by Arrian, c. 108-125 CE
- Doubtful and Spurious Fragments Attributed to EpictetusEpictetus · attributions formed from the 2nd century through Late Antiquity
- Enchiridion of EpictetusEpictetus · early 2nd century CE
- Fragments Attributed to EpictetusEpictetus · sayings from the 1st-2nd centuries CE, transmitted by later witnesses
- Letter to HerodotusEpicurus · late 4th or early 3rd century BCE
- Letter to MenoeceusEpicurus · late 4th or early 3rd century BCE
- Letter to PythoclesEpicurus · late 4th or early 3rd century BCE
- Principal DoctrinesEpicurus · 3rd century BCE; compilation of sayings by Epicurus and associates
- Surviving Fragments of EpicurusEpicurus · 4th-3rd centuries BCE; later fragmentary transmission
- Vatican SayingsEpicurus · anthology formed between the 3rd and 1st centuries BCE
- Heraclitus: Diels B fragmentsHeraclitus · late 6th or early 5th century BCE; quotations transmitted later
- Hillel in Early Rabbinic CarriersHillel the Elder · rabbinic carriers compiled c. 190-650 CE; traditions about Hillel active c. 30 BCE-20 CE
- Daodejing, Book of the Way and VirtueLaozi · layered composition, 4th-3rd centuries BCE
- MeditationsMarcus Aurelius · c. 170-180 CE
- DeuteronomyMoses · traditional Mosaic attribution; received composition and redaction across several centuries
- ExodusMoses · traditional Mosaic attribution; received composition and redaction across several centuries
- GenesisMoses · traditional Mosaic attribution; received composition and redaction across several centuries
- LeviticusMoses · traditional Mosaic attribution; received composition and redaction across several centuries
- NumbersMoses · traditional Mosaic attribution; received composition and redaction across several centuries
- The Qur’anMuhammad · proclamations c. 610-632 CE
- Ancient Biographical Testimonia on Musonius RufusMusonius Rufus · testimonies from the 1st to 3rd centuries CE
- Discourses of Musonius Rufus Reported by LuciusMusonius Rufus · late 1st or early 2nd century CE
- Minor Fragments and Sayings Attributed to Musonius RufusMusonius Rufus · 1st-century sayings, witnessed from the 2nd to 5th centuries CE
- Spurious Letters Attributed to Musonius RufusMusonius Rufus · Late Antiquity or Byzantine period, date uncertain
- Panaetius Fragments in Fowler’s EditionPanaetius · 2nd century BCE; fragments carried from the 1st century BCE to the 3rd century CE
- First AlcibiadesPlato · c. 350-330 BCE
- Second Alcibiades, a Pseudo-Platonic DialoguePlato · 4th-3rd centuries BCE; pseudo-Platonic attribution
- Apology of SocratesPlato · c. 399-390 BCE
- CharmidesPlato · c. 399-380 BCE
- ClitophonPlato · 4th century BCE; disputed attribution
- CratylusPlato · c. 390-360 BCE
- CritiasPlato · c. 360-347 BCE
- CritoPlato · c. 399-390 BCE
- Epinomis, an Ancient Appendix to the LawsPlato · after 347, c. 347-330 BCE
- Letters Attributed to PlatoPlato · 4th-3rd centuries BCE; authenticity varies by letter
- EuthydemusPlato · c. 390-370 BCE
- EuthyphroPlato · c. 399-390 BCE
- GorgiasPlato · c. 390-380 BCE
- Hipparchus, a Pseudo-Platonic DialoguePlato · 4th-3rd centuries BCE; pseudo-Platonic attribution
- Hippias MajorPlato · 4th century BCE; authenticity disputed
- Hippias MinorPlato · c. 399-390 BCE
- IonPlato · c. 399-390 BCE
- LachesPlato · c. 399-380 BCE
- LawsPlato · c. 360-347 BCE; late work left unfinished
- Rival Lovers, a Pseudo-Platonic DialoguePlato · 4th-3rd centuries BCE; pseudo-Platonic attribution
- LysisPlato · c. 399-380 BCE
- MenexenusPlato · c. 386 BCE
- MenoPlato · c. 390-380 BCE
- Minos, a Pseudo-Platonic DialoguePlato · 4th-3rd centuries BCE; pseudo-Platonic attribution
- ParmenidesPlato · c. 370-360 BCE
- PhaedoPlato · c. 385-370 BCE
- PhaedrusPlato · c. 370-360 BCE
- PhilebusPlato · c. 355-347 BCE
- ProtagorasPlato · c. 399-380 BCE
- RepublicPlato · c. 390-370 BCE
- SophistPlato · c. 360 BCE
- StatesmanPlato · c. 360 BCE
- SymposiumPlato · c. 385-370 BCE
- TheaetetusPlato · c. 369-360 BCE
- Theages, a Dialogue of Disputed AttributionPlato · 4th-3rd centuries BCE; disputed attribution
- TimaeusPlato · c. 360-350 BCE
- AlexanderPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- CaesarPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- Cato the YoungerPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- How One May Know One’s Progress in VirtuePlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- How a Young Man Should Study PoetryPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- How to Profit by One’s EnemiesPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- On Common Conceptions against the StoicsPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- On CuriosityPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- On Moral VirtuePlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- On Stoic Self-ContradictionsPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- On Tranquillity of Mind, PlutarchPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- On the Control of AngerPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- On the E at DelphiPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- On the Face in the MoonPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- Table TalkPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- The Stoics Speak More Absurdly than the PoetsPlutarch · late 1st to early 2nd century CE; internal order uncertain
- Fragments on Customs and WarsPosidonius · 1st century BCE; fragments of the Histories transmitted by ancient authors
- Testimonies on PosidoniusPosidonius · 1st century BCE; testimonia about Posidonius written later
- Consolation to Helvia, His MotherSeneca · c. 42-43 CE
- Consolation to MarciaSeneca · c. 39-40 CE
- Consolation to PolybiusSeneca · c. 43-44 CE
- On BenefitsSeneca · c. 56-64 CE
- On the Shortness of LifeSeneca · c. 49 CE
- On ClemencySeneca · 55-56 CE
- On the Firmness of the Wise PersonSeneca · 50s or early 60s CE
- On AngerSeneca · c. 41-52 CE
- On LeisureSeneca · c. 62 CE
- On ProvidenceSeneca · 50s or early 60s CE
- On Tranquillity of MindSeneca · c. 55-62 CE
- On the Happy LifeSeneca · c. 58 CE
- Moral Letters to LuciliusSeneca · c. 62-65 CE
- Natural QuestionsSeneca · c. 62-64 CE
- Against the Ethicists, Book XI of Against the LearnedSextus Empiricus · c. 180-220 CE
- Against the Logicians, Books VII-VIII of Against the LearnedSextus Empiricus · c. 180-220 CE
- Against the Physicists, Books IX-X of Against the LearnedSextus Empiricus · c. 180-220 CE
- Against the Professors, Books I-VI of Against the LearnedSextus Empiricus · c. 180-220 CE
- Outlines of PyrrhonismSextus Empiricus · c. 180-220 CE
- Socrates in Aristophanes’ CloudsAristophanes · first performed in 423 BCE; later revision
- Socrates in Plato’s ApologyPlato · c. 399-390 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s CharmidesPlato · c. 399-380 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s CritoPlato · c. 399-390 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s EuthyphroPlato · c. 399-390 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s GorgiasPlato · c. 390-380 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s LachesPlato · c. 399-380 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s MenoPlato · c. 390-380 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s PhaedoPlato · c. 385-370 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s PhaedrusPlato · c. 370-360 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s ProtagorasPlato · c. 399-380 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s RepublicPlato · c. 390-370 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s SymposiumPlato · c. 385-370 BCE
- Socrates in Plato’s TheaetetusPlato · c. 369-360 BCE
- Socrates in Xenophon’s ApologyXenophon · c. 390-360 BCE
- Socrates in Xenophon’s MemorabiliaXenophon · c. 385-355 BCE
- Socrates in Xenophon’s OeconomicusXenophon · c. 380-350 BCE
- Socrates in Xenophon’s SymposiumXenophon · c. 380-350 BCE
- Diogenes Laertius II.11: StilpoStilpo of Megara · first half of the 3rd century CE; testimony about Stilpo
- Sunzi Bingfa, The Art of WarSun Tzu · layered composition, Warring States period, 5th-3rd centuries BCE
- Stoicorum Veterum Fragmenta I: Zeno of CitiumZeno of Citium · late 4th and 3rd centuries BCE; fragments and testimonia transmitted later
- The Fragments of Zeno and Cleanthes: Zeno Section, Edited by A. C. PearsonZeno of Citium · late 4th and 3rd centuries BCE; fragments and testimonia transmitted later
- The Bible: Old TestamentBiblical traditions · composition and redaction across centuries, c. 12th-2nd centuries BCE, depending on the book
- The Bible: New TestamentBiblical traditions · c. 50-120 CE, depending on the book
- The Four GospelsGospel traditions · c. 65-100 CE, depending on the Gospel