Editing History of literature (section)

====Ancient Rome====
{{Main|Latin literature}}

In the [[Roman Republic]], literature took the form of tragedy, comedy, epic, and historical. [[Livius Andronicus]] is recognized as the originator of literature in the Latin language, and due to Rome's influence, the development of Latin literature often extended beyond the traditional boundaries of Rome. [[Plautus]] was an influential playwright known for his comedies that emphasized humor and [[popular culture]]. The late republic saw the rise of [[Augustan literature (ancient Rome)|Augustan literature]] and [[Classical Latin]], which was primarily prose and included the works of [[Cicero]] and [[Sallust]]. Upon the formation of the [[Roman Empire]], political commentary declined and prose went out of favor to be replaced by poetry. Poets such as [[Virgil]], [[Horace]], [[Propertius]], and [[Ovid]] are recognized as bringing about the Golden Age of Latin literature.{{Sfn|Cohen|2017|pp=45–48}} Virgil's epic poem the ''[[Aeneid]]'' closely followed the formula established by Homer.{{Sfn|Cohen|2017|p=54}}

Prominent Latin authors that lived during the early empire included [[Pliny the Elder]], [[Seneca the Younger]], and Emperor [[Marcus Aurelius]]. As the Roman Empire grew, Latin literature increasingly came from Spain and Northern Africa. Historical works of the early empire included the epic ''[[Pharsalia]]'' by [[Lucan]], which followed [[Caesar's civil war]], and the [[Annals (Tacitus)|''Annals'']] of [[Tacitus]], which recorded the events of the first century.{{Sfn|Cohen|2017|pp=57–63}} ''[[The Golden Ass]]'' by [[Apuleius]] was written in the later Empire and is possibly the world's oldest novel.{{Sfn|Cohen|2017|p=65}} The adoption of [[Christianity]] in the Roman Empire became apparent in Latin literature, most notably in the [[confessional writing]] of [[Augustine of Hippo]], such as the ''[[Confessions (Augustine)|Confessions]]''.{{Sfn|Cohen|2017|pp=70–71}}