List of Koine literature?

Other Greek writings of the New Testament era, including papyri and inscriptions
Forum rules
Please quote the Greek text you are discussing directly in your post if it is reasonably short - do not ask people to look it up. This is not a beginner's forum, competence in Greek is assumed.
Post Reply
Jesse Goulet
Posts: 87
Joined: October 15th, 2011, 12:48 pm

List of Koine literature?

Post by Jesse Goulet »

Is there a URL or website that lists the Greek literature of the Koine period? I only know of websites simply contain various works of all of Ancient Greece that aren't divided by era.
RandallButh
Posts: 1105
Joined: May 13th, 2011, 4:01 am

Re: List of Koine literature?

Post by RandallButh »

AT TLG (Thesaurus Linguae Graecae [why a universal Greek project would write its title in Latin is symptomatic of deeper problems, related to people who would refer to the Greek NT as "Novum Testamentum Graece". go figure.]) you can search for all authors 2 BCE to 3 CE. But you will get far too many hits to be useful. Every scrap about everything will be listed.

The answer to your question should probably be limited to appropriate texts for someone who would be asking the question.
Epictetos, a stoic 1st century philosopher
Josepos, 1st century Jewish historian
Apostolic Fathers, 2nd century Christian writings
Plutarchos, 1-2 century historian and essayist
Chariton, Callirhoe, a first century romance novel
Apollodoros, The Library, 1-2 century survey of Greek mythology
Aisopos, collection of fables, (while basically written in Attic dialect, they were widely used for teaching at all periods)
That will keep you busy

Many other authors can supplement the above as you wish:
Philo, 1st CE Jewish philosopher
Dio Chrysostum, 1st century Greek essayist
Pausanios, 2nd century travel guide
Lucian, 2-3 century satirist and virtuoso author
Philostratos, late 2nd CE, Life of Apollonios of Tyana (1st century Greek miracle worker/philosopher)
Galen, 2-3 CE, prolific medical writer, great for vocabulary
Oribasios, 4 CE, medical writer, great for vocabulary
Greek Anthology, collection of Greek poetry by many authors, including quite a few 1st century, on various subjects, serious and frivolous.
Life of Alexander
Life of Aisopos

Again, the list could go on and on
Jesse Goulet
Posts: 87
Joined: October 15th, 2011, 12:48 pm

Re: List of Koine literature?

Post by Jesse Goulet »

RandallButh wrote:AT TLG (Thesaurus Linguae Graecae [why a universal Greek project would write its title in Latin is symptomatic of deeper problems, related to people who would refer to the Greek NT as "Novum Testamentum Graece". go figure.])
I've been wondering the same thing. I also have Rahlfs-Hanhart's "Septuaginta."
you can search for all authors 2 BCE to 3 CE. But you will get far too many hits to be useful. Every scrap about everything will be listed.

The answer to your question should probably be limited to appropriate texts for someone who would be asking the question.
Epictetos, a stoic 1st century philosopher
Josepos, 1st century Jewish historian
Apostolic Fathers, 2nd century Christian writings
Plutarchos, 1-2 century historian and essayist
Chariton, Callirhoe, a first century romance novel
Apollodoros, The Library, 1-2 century survey of Greek mythology
Aisopos, collection of fables, (while basically written in Attic dialect, they were widely used for teaching at all periods)
That will keep you busy

Many other authors can supplement the above as you wish:
Philo, 1st CE Jewish philosopher
Dio Chrysostum, 1st century Greek essayist
Pausanios, 2nd century travel guide
Lucian, 2-3 century satirist and virtuoso author
Philostratos, late 2nd CE, Life of Apollonios of Tyana (1st century Greek miracle worker/philosopher)
Galen, 2-3 CE, prolific medical writer, great for vocabulary
Oribasios, 4 CE, medical writer, great for vocabulary
Greek Anthology, collection of Greek poetry by many authors, including quite a few 1st century, on various subjects, serious and frivolous.
Life of Alexander
Life of Aisopos

Again, the list could go on and on
Thank you, very much appreciated. I asked because I'd like to study the LXX and GNT in comparison to its contemporary literature, but students in seminaries and Bible Colleges aren't given the first clue how to go about that.

I'm considering basically a graded approach, starting with the non-literary, more common and moving towards the rhetorical (meaning that I DO want to discover "every scrap"). Unless someone has better suggestions.

My next related question is: what kind of lexicons for non-biblical Greek literature is out there? I only know of New Testament (and early church literature--BDAG) lexica, and even then I don't know of even Septuagint lexica either.
ed krentz
Posts: 70
Joined: February 22nd, 2012, 5:34 pm
Location: Chicago, IL

Re: List of Koine literature?

Post by ed krentz »

Let me begin by noting that most resources will not speak of koine literature; rather they will speak of Hellenistic literature and Roman Empire literature. Having said that, let me point you to some printed resources.

Albrecht Dihle, Greek and Latin Literature of the Roman Empire from Augustus to Justinian. London and New York: Routledge, 1999. 647 pages. ISBN 0-415-06367-1. Read the sections on Greek authors and compile a very long list. There is an extensive bibliography in the rear.

P. E. Easterling and B. M. W. Knox, editors. The Cam bridge History of Classical Literature, volume 1, part 4: The Hellenistic Period and the Empire. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989. 278 pages. ISBN 0-521-35984-8. Briefer. Excellent bibliographies of editions.

Albin Lesky. A History of Greek Literature. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1966. 921 pages. Massive bibliographies.

If you can read German:

Franz Susemihl. Geschichte der griechischen Literature in der Alexandrinerzeit. Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 18991.2 vol. A classic work, still relevant

If you consult these you will see the riches of possible literature. You should add the inscriptions and papyri from this period also.

Edgar Krentz
Edgar Krentz
Prof. Emeritus of NT
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago
Jesse Goulet
Posts: 87
Joined: October 15th, 2011, 12:48 pm

Re: List of Koine literature?

Post by Jesse Goulet »

Thank you!
Ken M. Penner
Posts: 881
Joined: May 12th, 2011, 7:50 am
Location: Antigonish, NS, Canada
Contact:

Re: List of Koine literature?

Post by Ken M. Penner »

Jesse Goulet wrote: My next related question is: what kind of lexicons for non-biblical Greek literature is out there? I only know of New Testament (and early church literature--BDAG) lexica, and even then I don't know of even Septuagint lexica either.
For ancient Greek generally, the standard lexicon is the 1996 LSJ with supplement, an older version of which is online: LSJ, or its abridged forms.
For the Septuagint, you can supplement BDAG with Chamberlain, or get LEH or Muraoka.
Ken M. Penner
Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, St. Francis Xavier University
Co-Editor, Digital Biblical Studies
General Editor, Lexham English Septuagint
Co-Editor, Online Critical Pseudepigrapha pseudepigrapha.org
Post Reply

Return to “Koine Greek Texts”