HISTORICAL PERIODS AND GREEK LITERATURE
(WORK IN PROGRESS)
N.B.: The first two periods are my own and need further verification, the others are taken from Greek-English Lexicon by H.G. Liddell, DD and R. Scott, DD, American Book Co., 1882
- Syllabic period of Linear A and B
- 1100-800 Transition to the Greek alphabetical language.
- The Early Period comprising the Iliad and the Odissey, the Homeric Hymns and Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days.
- 800-530 Period of the early Lyric, Elegiac and Iambic Poets.
- 530-510 Period of Peisistratus, early tragedy in Athens and early historians.
- 510-470 The age of perfected Lyric Poetry and ta Persika.
- 470-431 Age of Athenian supremacy, 470-431, regular prose, Herodotus.
- 431-403 the age of the Peloponnesian War; Thucydides, Pericles.
- 403-336 The age of Spartan, Theban and Philip Supremacy: Lysias, Plato, Xenophen
- 336-to Roman Age: Macedonian and Alexandrian Age; Prose of Aristotle, Theophrastus, Callimachus, Theocritus, etc.
- Roman Age: Epigrammatic Poets, Hellenic Prose of Polybius, Grammarians, etc.
My Pondered Scenario (Not yet verified with academic scholars)
| I - MINOAN AND MYCENEAN PERIOD (3400-1100) |
|---|
I
| 3400 | 3000 | |
3000 | 1600 | |
1600 | 1500 | Linear A |
1250 | 1100 | Linear B - Syllabic Greek |
| II - ARCHAIC PERIOD (950-480) |
| II | 1100 | 850 | Transition from syllabic to alphabetical Greek |
850 | 700 | Oral Composition and Transmission, Epigraphic inscription and book-hand consolidation. Homer and Hesiod the originators of Greek Literature. Hesiod Theogony and the 34 Homeric Hymns may precede Homer's Iliad. Lyric Poetry may start in mid-VII century with Archilocus from Paros. |
700 | 640 | Oral Composition and Transmission, Possible Early Papyri scripts. Homer's Iliad, Hymns, Hesiod's works: all in Dactlyc hexametre. Lyric Poetry continues its development. |
| 624 | Book-hands are now consolidated. The Laws of Athens attest this fact. |
624 | 535 | The Odyssey gets written down or created ex-novo in dactlyc hexametre; some oral episodes may have existed since Homer's times. Solon' s literary works, and the works of Sappho, Alcaeus, Pindar and the Spartan Tyrtaios help establish the new Lyric Poetry genre. Aeschylus is born in 525 in Eleusis near Athens. |
535 | 510 | Tyranny of Peisistratus and his sons in Athens starts in 535. Thespis produces first tragedy in 534. |
| 505 | Democratic reforms of Cleisthenes in Athens |
| 496 | Birth of Sophocles |
| 484 | Birth of Herodotus |
| 480 | Birth of Euripides |
| III - ATTIC PERIOD (480-323) |
| III | 480 | 477 | |
| 477 | |
| 460 | Birth of Thucydides |
443 | 429 | |
431 | 404 | |
395 | 387 | |
379 | 362 | |
| 362 | |
356 | 338 | |
| 337 | |
336 | 323 | |
| IV - HELLENISTIC PERIOD (323 BC - 529 AD) |