Historical Periods

Authors
Greek / Latin

%

Works

Description

Early and Middle Bronze Age
(3000-1600 BC)

Greek immigration 2200 BC
Cretan palaces: 1950 BC

See also Historical Context of the Myths

Mycenaean Age
(1600-1200 BC)

Minoan collapse: 1500 BC.
Destruction of the Mycenaean citadels in the decades around 1200 BC.

Linear B, deciphered 1952. Linear B is a script developed from the Minoan Linear A (still undeciphered), used by the Mycenaeans between ca. 1500 BC and 1100 BC.

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Names of gods appear on a clay tablet from Pylos [see for example "Crete and Mycenae: Problems of Mythology and Religious History", in Greek and Egyptian Mythologies, compiled by Yves Bonnefoy (University of Chicago Press, 1992).

Dark Age
(1200-800 BC)

Phonetic alphabet: c. 800 BC

Oral tradition

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The myths, sang by the itinerant aoidoi, and rhapsodes

Greek Phonetic Alphabet

Archaic Period
(800-480 BC)

First Olympiad: 776 BC
Foundation of Rome: 751 BC

Homer, c. 800 BC

8

The Iliad

Epic poem

The Odyssey

Epic poem

Homeric Hymns

Invocations to the gods

Hesiod, 800 BC

4.6

Theogony

Poem describing the origin of the gods. The most complete version on the subject.

Catalogues

Poem enumerating heroines, their adventures and descendants.

Shield of Heracles

Poem telling some adventures of Heracles.

Works and Days

Didactic poem with pratical instructions and ethical maxims.

The Cyclic Poets, 7C or 6C AD (works generally ascribed, therefore repeated):

Agias of Troezen

0.28

The Returns (Nostoi)

Fragments of these works, and abridgments by Photius (fl. AD 870) remain.

Translation:
Hesiod, The Homeric Hymns, and Homerica - Hugh. G. Evelyn-White, Loeb Classical Library [1914] 1982.

Anonymous

The Thebaid

Antimachus of Theos

The Epigoni

Arctinus of Miletus, 776 BC

The Titanomachy
The Aethiopis
The Sack of Ilium
The Returns (Nostoi)

Cinaethon of Lacedaemon

Oedipodea
The Little Iliad

Eugammon of Cyrene, 568 BC

The Telegony

Eumelus of Corinth, 730 BC

The Titanomachy
The Returns (Nostoi)

Diodorus of Erythrae

The Little Iliad

Hegesias of Salamis

The Cypria

Lesches of Mytilene, 660 BC

The Little Iliad

Stasinus of Cyprus

The Cypria

Thestorides of Phocaea

The Little Iliad

Classical Period
(480-323 BC)

From the Persian Wars to the death of Alexander.

Aeschylus, 525-456 BC

0.5

Several plays

See Bibliography

Pindar, 518-438 BC

1

Odes

Poems dedicated to athletic victors with multiple mythical references.

Sophocles, 495-406 BC

0.5

Several plays

See Bibliography

Euripides, 485-406 BC

1.5

Several plays

See Bibliography

Herodotus, 484-430 BC

1

History

'The father of history' includes several myths in his historical accounts.

Aristophanes, c. 447-386 BC

0.04

The Birds

Contains a cosmogonic exposition explaining humorously the origin of birds, but the exposition itself has mythological interest.

Plato, 427-347 BC

0.3

Critias

Myth of Atlantis.

Phaedrus

Minor references.

The Republic

Myth of Er

Timaeus

Minor references.

Hellenistic Period
(323-31 BC)

From the death of Alexander to the fall of Alexandria (but Greece became a Roman province in 146 BC).

Aratus of Soli, 315-245 BC

0.08

Phaenomena

Didactic poem dealing with astronomy.

Callimachus, 284 BC

0.3

Hymns

In several hymns to the gods the poet informs on other characters as well.

Apollonius Rhodius, 260 BC

1.8

Argonautica

Epic poem in four books, telling the story of Jason and the Argonauts.

Cicero, 106-43 BC

0.3

The Nature of the Gods

Several accounts on the gods presented with the purpose of refuting the Greek traditional tales.

Diodorus Siculus, 80-20 BC

4.4

The Library of History

History of the world with many myths recorded.

Imperial Age
(31 BC-AD 600)

End of West Rome AD 476

[Orpheus], ?

0.4

Argonautica Orphica

Account on the expedition of the Argonauts.

Orphic Hymns

Invocations

Dares the Phrygian, ?

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History of the Fall of Troy

Complete account from the incident between the Argonauts and the Trojans to the fall of Troy.

Virgil, 70-19 BC

4

The Aeneid

Epic poem relating the wanderings of Aeneas and his arrival to Italy.

Georgics

Didactic poem dealing with rural gods, and serving as a manual of farming as well.

Strabo, 64 BC-AD 25

2

Geography

Extensive work dealing with geographical and historical subjects, and describing customs and traditions as well.

Dionysius of Halicarnassus, 60 BC-AD 7

1.5

The Roman Antiquities

Work dealing with the history of Rome from the mythical beginnings to the First Punic War.

Propertius, born 50 BC

0.4

Elegies

Love poems with mythical references.

Ovid, 43 BC-AD 17

6

Metamorphoses

A Poem in 15 books collecting important myths.

Fasti

A poem in six books, having by subject the Roman calendar, in which relevant traditions (mythical, historical and astronomical) are described

Heroides

Twenty-one imaginary letters of heroines to their lovers.

Conon, fl. 36 BC-AD 17

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Narratives (Diegeseis)

Collection of fifty tales, preserved in the epitome of Photius in his Bibliotheke. Photius was a Byzantine scholar and Patriarch of Constantinople in AD 858-67 and 878-86.

Parthenius, 1st c. BC

1

Love Romances

Collection of prose outlines of love stories.

Statius, AD 48-96

2.6

Thebaid

Epic poem about the war of the Seven Against Thebes.

Achilleid

Epic poem (unfinished) covering the first years of Achilles, his education and his mother's fears.

Plutarch, AD 45-120

1.3

Parallel Lives:

Fifty biographies of historical and also mythical characters. See which lives are mythologically relevant at Bibliography, Ancient Authors.

Moralia (Greek and Roman Parallel Stories)

The Moralia are treatises on various subjects. They include not few mythical accounts.

Moralia (Greek Questions)

Valerius Flaccus, AD 80

2

Argonautica

Unfinished epic poem in eight books on the expedition of the Argonauts. It tells the story up to the escape of the Argonauts from Colchis and the murder of Medea's brother Apsyrtus.

Apollodorus, AD 100

19

The Library

This is the most complete ancient mythographic compilation available. After a Theogonical introduction, Apollodorus goes through the description of several mythological families, such as that of Deucalion, that of Inachus, Atlas, etc. This work, including its Epitome, covers the Trojan War, the Returns of the Achaean leaders, and the wanderings of Odysseus.

Antoninus Liberalis, AD 100

2

Metamorphoses

Series of mythological tales (41 fables of metamorphoses).

Pausanias, AD 150

12

Description of Greece

Mythical and historical accounts, and description of Greek landmarks. In addition to many tales, throne succession in several cities, and the return of the Heraclides are described in detail.

Apuleius, AD 160

0.01

The Golden Ass

A Latin novel. The only known source for the myth of Eros and Psyche.

Longus, AD 200

0.06

Daphnis and Chloe

Novel depicting a pastoral love story.

Manilius, AD 10

0.05

Astronomica

Latin didactic poem on celestial phenomena.

Hyginus, before AD 207

12

Fabulae

Large mythographic compilation organized in 277 short sections, providing many interesting versions of the myths.

Poetica Astronomica

Astronomical manual based on Greek mythological accounts.

Dictys of Cnossus, 4C AD?

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Journal of the Trojan War

Account on the fall of Troy. Perhaps a translation from a document going back to 3C AD.

Nonnos, 5C AD

5

Dionysiaca

Epic in 48 books narrating the adventures of Dionysus in India.

Tryphiodorus, AD 450

0.3

The Taking of Ilios

Epic poem. Almost seven hundred remaining lines deal with the events between the episode of the Wooden Horse and the sacrifice of Polyxena.

Quintus Smyrnaeus, AD 400

3.3

The Fall of Troy

Epic poem, completing the story of the Trojan War.

Colluthus, AD 500

0.1

The Rape of Helen

Epic poem giving an account of the Judgement of Paris and his seduction of Helen.