The Greatest Literature of Greece
The Greatest Literature of Greece list is based on the same extensive research and surveys carried out over the past two decades for our Greatest Literature of All Time list, augmented by recent research specifically concerning Greek literature.
An odd feature of this list though is that it spans two widely differentiated historical and cultural epochs—ancient and modern Greece—with precious little in-between. Even the two geographical areas referred to by the word "Greece" are much different. What we call the ancient Greek world encompassed a wide swath of eastern Mediterranean civilization, including regions we no longer consider part of the country known today as Greece.
Nonetheless there is enough continuity between the peoples of old and new Greece to make a common listing of greatest works worthwhile.
The focus of this list is major creative works—such as novels, novellas, plays and collections—although a few significant shorter works and nonfiction may also be considered.
The list is expected to grow and change as our appreciation of older Greek works continues to evolve and and new Greek literature continues to develop. Check back for updates.
Latest update: July 23, 2023
The 77 greatest works of Greek literature
In chronological order
c.750 BCE
Greece,
long poem
c.700 BCE
Greece,
long poem
c.610–580 BCE
Sappho's Poems
Sappho,
Greece,
poetry collection
c.600-550 BCE
Aesop's Fables
Aesop,
Greece,
story collection
520–440 BCE
Epinician Odes
Pindar,
Greece,
poetry collection
c.504–501 BCE
Fragments
Heraclitus,
Greece,
poetry collection
c.475 BCE
Olympian
Pindar,
Greece,
poetry collection
472 BCE
The Persianse
Aeschylus,
Greece,
play
467 BCE
Seven Against Thebes
Aeschylus,
Greece,
play
c.462 BCE
The Suppliant Maidens
Aeschylus,
Greece,
play
458 BCE
The Oresteia
Aeschylus,
Greece,
play series
c.450–425 BCE
Prometheus Bound
Aeschylus,
Greece,
play
The Women of Trachis
Sophocles,
Greece,
play
442–441 BCE
Sophocles,
Greece,
play
Ajax
Sophocles,
Greece,
play
438 BCE
Alcestis
Euripides,
Greece,
play
431 BCE
Medea
Euripides,
Greece,
play
c.430 BCE
Children of Heracles
Euripides,
Greece,
play
c.428 BCE
Andromache
Euripides,
Greece,
play
Hippolytus
Euripides,
Greece,
play
c.427 BCE
Hecuba
Euripides,
Greece,
play
425 BCE
The Acharnians
Aristophanes,
Greece,
play
424 BCE
The Knights
Aristophanes,
Greece,
play
423 BCE
The Clouds
Aristophanes,
Greece,
play
The Suppliants
Euripides,
Greece,
play
422 BCE
The Wasps
Aristophanes,
Greece,
play
c.420–410 BCE
Electra
Sophocles,
Greece,
play
418 BCE
Electra
Euripides,
Greece,
play
c.416 BCE
Herakles
Euripides,
Greece,
play
415 BCE
The Trojan Women
Euripides,
Greece,
play
414 BCE
The Birdse
Aristophanes,
Greece,
play
414–412 BCE
Ion
Euripides,
Greece,
play
412 BCE
Helen
Euripides,
Greece,
play
411 BCE
Lysistrata
Aristophanes,
Greece,
play
Women at the Thesmophoria
Aristophanes,
Greece,
play
409 BCE
Philoctetes
Sophocles,
Greece,
play
406 BCE
Bacchae
Euripides,
Greece,
play
c.405 BCE
Cyclops
Euripides,
Greece,
play
405 BCE
The Frogs
Aristophanes,
Greece,
play
401 BCE
Oedipus at Colonus
Sophocles,
Greece,
play
c.385–370 BCE
The Symposium
Plato,
Greece,
nonfiction
c.380 BCE
Plato,
Greece,
dialogue
Meno
Plato,
Greece,
nonfiction
c.0370 BCE
Cyropaedia
Xenophon,
Greece,
biography
Anabasis
Xenophon,
Greece,
nonfiction
317–316 BCE
Dyskolos
Menander,
Greece,
play
c.270–240 BCE
Aetia
Callimachus,
Greece,
long poem
c.270 BCE
Epigrams
Asclepiades of Samos,
Greece,
poetry collection
Idylls
Theocritus,
Greece,
poetry collection
c.250 BCE
Voyage of the Argonauts
Apollonius of Rhodes,
Greece,
long poem
c.50
Callirhoe
Chariton,
Greece,
novel
c.100
Parallel Lives
Plutarch,
Greece,
biography
c.150
Daphnis and Chloe
Longus,
Greece,
novel
c.500
Hero and Leander
Musaeus Grammaticus,
Greece,
long poem
c.800
Digenes Akritas
Anonymous,
Greece,
long poem
c.1600
Erotokritos
Vikentios Kornaros,
Greece,
Long Poem
1866
The Papess Joanne
Emmanuel Roidis,
Greece,
novel
1935
Poems
Constantine Cavafy,
Greece,
poetry collection
Mythistorema
George Seferis,
Greece,
poetry collection
1938
The Odyssey, a Modern Sequel
Nikos Kazantzakis,
Greece,
long poem
1946
Zorba the Greek
Nikos Kazantzakis,
Greece,
novel
1955
The Last Temptation of Christ
Nikos Kazantzákis,
Greece,
novel
1959
To Axion Esti
Odysseas Kazantzákis,
Greece,
long poem
1962
The Third Wedding
Costas Taktsis,
Greece,
novel
1967
Z
Vassilis Vassilikos,
Greece,
novel
1970
Fool's Gold
Maro Douka,
Greece,
novel
1989
The Life of Ismail Ferik Pasha
Rhea Galanaki,
Greece,
novel
1990
The Daughter
Pavlos Matesis,
Greece,
novel
1991
Astradeni
Eugenia Fakinou,
Greece,
novel
1992
Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture
Apostolos Doxiadis,
Greece,
novel
1995
The Late-Night News
Petros Markaris,
Greece,
novel
2009
Z213: Exit
Dimitris Lyacos,
Greece,
novella
2013
God Is My Witness
Makis Tsitas,
Greece,
novel
2014
Victory
Christos Chomenidis,
Greece,
novel
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