Writing system
The Ancient Greeks wrote in a way that was quite different than ours today.
usually 6 types of writing
epic
poem
play
history
philosophical dialogues and treatises
legal speeches and political speeches
usually 6 types of writing
epic
poem
play
history
philosophical dialogues and treatises
legal speeches and political speeches
Epic
Around 700 BC, Homer wrote two connected epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey
Epics are long poems which tell the story of a hero
Epics are long poems which tell the story of a hero
Poem
Two early Greek examples are Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days
There are also a number of shorter poems by Archilochus and Sappho
Sappho's poems are the only surviving literature by a Greek woman
There are also a number of shorter poems by Archilochus and Sappho
Sappho's poems are the only surviving literature by a Greek woman
Play
Plays are divided into tragedies and comedies.
Tragedies are generally sad
Comedies are funny
The oldest tragedies that we still have were written by Aeschylus
We also have tragedies written by and Euripides
The oldest comedies that we still have are by Aristophanes
Some later comedies were written by Menander
Plays are also written in verse, like poems.
Tragedies are generally sad
Comedies are funny
The oldest tragedies that we still have were written by Aeschylus
We also have tragedies written by and Euripides
The oldest comedies that we still have are by Aristophanes
Some later comedies were written by Menander
Plays are also written in verse, like poems.
History
Two major histories that we still have are those by Herodotes and Thucydides
About 450 BC, Herodotus wrote a history of the Persian Wars
About 400 BC, Thucydides wrote a history of the Peloponnesian War
During the Roman takeover of Greece, Polybius wrote a History of Rome in Greek
These are all written in prose (not in verse)
About 450 BC, Herodotus wrote a history of the Persian Wars
About 400 BC, Thucydides wrote a history of the Peloponnesian War
During the Roman takeover of Greece, Polybius wrote a History of Rome in Greek
These are all written in prose (not in verse)
Philosophical Dialogues and Treatises
The first written philosophy was written by Plato in the form of a kind of play
Later on both Plato and his student Aristotle wrote regular philosophical books, in prose without dialogues
Later on both Plato and his student Aristotle wrote regular philosophical books, in prose without dialogues
Legal Speeches and Political Speeches
The first speeches we have surviving are from the 300s BC
The three most famous speechwriters were Lysias , Isocrates, and Demosthenes
The three most famous speechwriters were Lysias , Isocrates, and Demosthenes