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Ancient Classics to be well read
17
items A former classics major lists her top recommendations for ancient classics to be well read. Best read with a glass of red wine in a vast library
Sections
5
Novels/Epics
Theatre
History
Philosophy
Poetry
Novels/Epics
The follow up epic to the Iliad, another must read in classics. Also, this was the first time the Odyssey was ever translated by a woman, so bonus points for that!
The Odyssey: Translated by Emily Wilson|Paperback
Another epic, taking place shortly after the Iliad finishes. Virgil beautifully narrates the story of Aeneas’ journey from Troy to what would eventually become the Roman Empire
The Aeneid - Virgil
Unfortunately this one doesn’t survive in completion, but it is still so worth the read. A trippy story involving crazy dinner parties and orgies, it’s not one you’ll forget any time soon. Not to mention, this one was a huge inspiration behind F. Sco...
The Satyricon - Petronius
An incredible collection of stories from the ancient world - if I have one recommendation it is this one. Reading this will give you such a comprehensive understanding of Greek and Roman myth. As my professor always said, “it’s bed-stand reading for ...
Metamorphoses - Ovid
This ancient novel humorously recounts the story of Lucius, a man who was turned into a donkey after meddling in witchcraft
The Golden Ass - Apuleius
An all time classic telling of the Trojan War, my number one recommendation for classics
The Iliad: Translated by Emily Wilson|Paperback
Theatre
A sex strike in Ancient Greece? Absolute icons! Aristophanes is one of the hallmark Greek playwrights, and you can’t go wrong with a collection of his artworks
Lysistrata and Other Plays - Aristophanes
The ancient myth of Oedipus laid out in three classic plays! This is the origins of Freud’s Oedipus Complex - that’s how influential this myth and these plays have been
The Oedipus Cycle: Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus, Antigone - Sophocles
A tragedy about the attempts of Pentheus to suppress Bacchus and his cult’s revelry… a timeless work
Bacchae - Euripides
Revellers take turns telling stories about the theme of love and a raucous dinner party - an incredible read about love from different angles
The Symposium - Plato
The story of Medea’s vengeance on Jason, leader of the Argonauts, after he abandoned her
Medea - Euripides
History
A great introduction to ancient military history. Thucydides also wrote the famous Melian Dialogues, so it’s definitely worth a read
The Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War|Paperback
Herodotus is often considered to be the founding father of History as a subject, so reading his Histories is a must.
It is a bit of a trust the process like Victor Hugo - it can be dry and lengthy, but it’s also so full of funny stories and anecdote...
The Landmark Herodotus: The Histories|Paperback
Philosophy
The hallmark work on stoicism from none other than Marcus Aurelius himself. An important contribution to the study of philosophy
Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
Poetry
Sappho, from the isle of Lesbos, was so well known for her poetry about women and her queer love for them, our modern day terms sapphic and lesbian originated with her
Sappho: A New Translation|Paperback
Beautiful testaments to the timeless nature of love by Ovid
The Love Poems - Ovid
Let’s just say one of the most famous and raunchiest Latin phrases of all time comes from this one…
The Poems of Catullus|Paperback