Greek literature, ancient: The Classical Period
The Classical Period
Greek drama evolved from the song and dance in the ceremonies honoring Dionysus at Athens. In the 5th cent.
The writing of history came of age in Greece with the rich and diffuse work of Herodotus, the precise and exhaustive accounts of Thucydides, and the rushing narrative of Xenophon. Philosophical writing of unprecedented breadth was produced during this brief period of Athenian literature; the works of Plato and Aristotle have had an incalculable effect in the shaping of Western thought.
Greek oratory, of immense importance in the ancient world, was perfected at this time. Among the most celebrated orators were Antiphon, Andocides, Lysias, Isocrates, Isaeus, Lycurgus, Aeschines, and, considered the greatest of all, Demosthenes. “Classical” Greek literature is said to have ended with the deaths of Aristotle and Demosthenes (c.322
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Later Greek Literature
- The Classical Period
- Early Writings
- Bibliography
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