History of literature The history of literature

Classical antiquity[edit]
Ancient Greece[edit]
Main article: Ancient Greek literature
A scene from the Odyssey portrayed in an Ancient Roman mosaic
Early Greek literature was composed in dactylic hexameter. Homer is credited with the codification of epic poetry in Ancient Greece with the Iliad and the Odyssey. Hesiod is credited with developing a literary tradition of poetry derived from catalogues and genealogies, such as the Megala Erga and the Theogony. Notable writers of religious literature also held similar prominence at the time, but these works have since been lost.^[43] Notable among later Greek poets was Sappho, who contributed to the development of lyric poetry and was widely popular in antiquity.^[44]
Ancient Greek plays originate from the chorus plays of Athens in the 6th century BC as a tradition to honor Dionysus, the god of theater and wine. Greek plays came to be associated with "elaborate costumes, complex choreography, scenic architecture, and the mask". They were often structured as a tetralogy in which three tragedies were followed by a satyr play. Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were known for their tragedies, while Aristophanes and Menander were known for their comedies.^[45] Sophocles is most well known for his play Oedipus Rex, which established an early example of literary irony.^[46]
Ancient Greek philosophy was developed as the foundation of Western philosophy. Thales of Miletus was the first person in recorded history to engage in Western philosophy. The Ancient Greek philosophical literature was advanced by Plato, who incorporated philosophical debates into dialogues with Socratic questioning. Aristotle, Plato's student, wrote dozens of works on many scientific disciplines.^[47] Aristotle also developed early literary criticism and literary theory in his Poetics.^[46]