Ancient literature


Ancient literature comprises religious and scientific documents, tales, poetry and plays, royal edicts and declarations, and other forms of writing that were recorded on a variety of media, including stone, clay tablets, papyri, palm leaves, and metal.
Before the spread of writing, oral literature did not always survive well, but some texts and fragments have persisted.
An unknown number of written works have not survived the ravages of time and are therefore lost.

Incomplete list of ancient texts

Bronze Age

Early Bronze Age: 3rd millennium BC. The earliest written literature dates from about 2600 BC. Certain literary texts are difficult to date, such as the Egyptian Book of the Dead, which was recorded in the Papyrus of Ani around 1240 BC, but other versions of the book probably date from about the 18th century BC.2600 BC: Sumerian texts from Abu Salabikh, including the Instructions of Shuruppak and the Kesh temple hymn2600 BC: Egyptian The Life of Metjen from Saqqara2500 BC: Egyptian Diary of Merer and Instruction of Hardjedef2500 BC: Sumerian Hymn to Enlil, Enlil and Ninlil, and ''Debate between sheep and grain2400 BC: Sumerian Code of Urukagina2400 BC – 2300 BC: Egyptian Pyramid Texts, including the Cannibal Hymn2375 BC: Egyptian The Maxims of Ptahhotep2283 BC: Egyptian Palermo Stone2270 BC: Sumerian Enheduanna's Hymns2250 BC: Egyptian Autobiography of Weni and South Saqqara Stone2250 BC – 2000 BC: Earliest Sumerian stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh2200 BC: Egyptian Autobiography of Harkhuf2125 BC: Sumerian Building of Ningirsu's Temple2100 BC: Sumerian Curse of Agade, Debate between bird and fish, Inanna's Descent into the Underworld, Self-praise of Shulgi, Code of Ur-Nammu, and Song of the hoe2084 BC: Sumerian Sumerian King List2050 BC: Egyptian The Satire of the Trades
Middle Bronze Age: 2000 BC to 1601 BC 2000 BC: Egyptian Coffin Texts and Teaching for King Merykara2000 BC: Sumerian Lament for Ur, Lament for Sumer and Ur, Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta, and Debate between Winter and Summer2000 BC – 1900 BC: Egyptian Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor, Prophecy of Neferti, and the first of the Harper's Songs1950 BC: Akkadian Laws of Eshnunna and Hymn to Ištar1950 BC: Egyptian Instructions of Amenemhat, the Akhmim wooden tablets, and the Heqanakht papyri1940 BC: Sumerian Correspondence of the Kings of Ur1900 BC: Akkadian Legend of Etana, Summa izbu, Šumma ālu, Namburbi, and Iškar Zaqīqu1900 BC: Sumerian Code of Lipit-Ishtar and The Legend of Adapa1900 BC: Egyptian Instructions of Kagemni1859 BC – 1840 BC: Egyptian Dispute between a man and his Ba1859 BC – 1813 BC: Egyptian Loyalist Teaching1850 BC: Egyptian The Eloquent Peasant1850 BC: Akkadian Kultepe texts, Bārûtu, the Counsels of Wisdom, the Cuthean Legend of Naram-Sin, and the Labbu Myth1800 BC: Akkadian earliest complete version of the Epic of Gilgamesh1800 BC: Egyptian Berlin Papyrus 6619, Moscow Mathematical Papyrus, and Story of Sinuhe 1780 BC: Akkadian Mari letters, including the Epic of Zimri-Lim1754 BC: Akkadian Code of Hammurabi stele1750 BC: Akkadian Agushaya HymnLate 18th century BC: Hittite Anitta text1700 BC: Akkadian Atra-Hasis1700 BC: Egyptian Westcar Papyrus1650 BC: Egyptian Ipuwer Papyrus1650 BC: Sumerian Dialogue between a Man and His God
Late Bronze Age: 1600 BC to 1201 BC 1600 BC: Hittite Code of the Nesilim1600 BC: Akkadian Ḫulbazizi, Eridu Genesis and Enuma Anu Enlil1600 BC: Egyptian Edwin Smith Papyrus1550 BC: Egyptian Book of the Dead, Instruction of Any, King Neferkare and General Sasenet, the Tale of the Doomed Prince, the Litany of Re, Rhind Mathematical Papyrus, and the Ebers Papyrus1550 BC: Akkadian Bullussa-rabi's Hymn to Gula1550 BC: Babylonian Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa1500 BC: Akkadian Poor Man of Nippur1500 BC: Hittite military oath1500 BC – 1300 BC: Ugaritic Baal Cycle1500 BC – 1200 BC: Ugaritic Legend of Keret1500 BC – 1000 BC: Sanskrit Rig Veda1500 BC: Akkadian Dynasty of Dunnum and Chronicle of Early Kings1450 BC: Egyptian The Taking of Joppa1450 BC: Akkadian Assyrian law1425 BC: Egyptian Amduat1400 BC: Akkadian Marriage of Nergal and Ereshkigal, Autobiography of Kurigalzu, and Amarna lettersMid 14th century BC: Egyptian Great Hymn to the Aten1350 BC: Ugaritic Tale of Aqhat1350 BC: Akkadian Šurpu1300 BC: Egyptian Instruction of Amenemope, Papyrus Anastasi I1300 BC: Akkadian Ludlul bēl nēmeqi, the Dream of Kurigalzu, The Hemerology for Nazi-Maruttaš, Iqqur Ipuš, and Summa izbu1274 BC: Akkadian Adad-nārāri Epic1240 BC: Egyptian Papyrus of Ani, Book of the Dead1200 BC – 900 BC: Akkadian version and younger stories in the Epic of Gilgamesh1200 BC: Akkadian Tukulti-Ninurta Epic1200 BC: Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers''

Iron Age

Iron Age texts predating Classical Antiquity: 12th to 8th centuries BC1200 BC: The Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda1100 BC: Akkadian Šumma sinništu qaqqada rabāt1050 BC: Egyptian Story of Wenamun1050 BC: Akkadian Sakikkū (SA.GIG) "Diagnostic Omens" by Esagil-kin-apli.1050 BC: Akkadian Alamdimmû1050 BC: The Babylonian Theodicy of Šaggil-kīnam-ubbib.1010 BC: Akkadian Royal Inscription of Simbar-Šipak1000 BC: Chinese Classic of Poetry 1000 BC: Akkadian Dialogue of Pessimism, Chronicle P, Maglû, Bīt rimki, Zu-buru-dabbeda, Advice to a Prince, Asakkū marsūtu, the Great Prayer to Šamaš, the MUL.APIN, the Sag-gig-ga-meš, and Šēp lemutti900 BC: Akkadian Epic of Erra900 BC: Vedic Sanskrit ''Aranyaka''

Classical antiquity

9th century BC

8th century BC

7th century BC

6th century BC

5th century BC

4th century BC

3rd century BC

2nd century BC

1st century BC

1st century AD

2nd century

3rd century

Late Antiquity

4th century

5th century

6th century