Editing Classics (section)

===Literature===
{{Main|Ancient Greek literature}}
The earliest surviving works of Greek literature are [[epic poetry]]. [[Homer]]'s ''[[Iliad]]'' and ''[[Odyssey]]'' are the earliest to survive to us today, probably composed in the eighth century BC.<ref>{{harvnb|Kirk|1985|p=47}}</ref> These early epics were oral compositions, created without the use of writing.<ref>{{harvnb|Kirk|1985|p=43}}</ref>
Around the same time that the Homeric epics were composed, the [[Greek alphabet]] was introduced; the earliest surviving inscriptions date from around 750 BC.<ref name="Kirk-45">{{harvnb|Kirk|1985|p=45}}</ref>

<!-- Need to put something about archaic poetry here...
Some of the earliest Greek poetry to be composed in written form was that of [[Archilochus]], around a century after the introduction of the Greek alphabet.<ref name="Kirk-45"/> -->
European [[drama]] was invented in ancient Greece. Traditionally this was attributed to [[Thespis]], around the middle of the sixth century BC,<ref>{{harvnb|Winnington-Ingram|Gould|Easterling|Knox|1985|p=259}}</ref> though the earliest surviving work of Greek drama is [[Aeschylus]]' tragedy ''[[The Persians]]'', which dates to 472 BC.<ref name="WIGEK-258">{{harvnb|Winnington-Ingram|Gould|Easterling|Knox|1985|p=258}}</ref> Early Greek tragedy was performed by a chorus and two actors, but by the end of Aeschylus' life, a third actor had been introduced, either by him or by [[Sophocles]].<ref name="WIGEK-258"/> The last surviving Greek tragedies are the ''[[Bacchae]]'' of [[Euripides]] and Sophocles' [[Oedipus at Colonus]], both from the end of the fifth century BC.<ref>{{harvnb|Winnington-Ingram|Gould|Easterling|Knox|1985|pp=339–40}}</ref>

Surviving Greek comedy begins later than tragedy; the earliest surviving work, [[Aristophanes]]' ''[[Acharnians]]'', comes from 425 BC.<ref name="Handley-355">{{harvnb|Handley|1985|p=355}}</ref> However, comedy dates back as early as 486 BC, when the [[Dionysia]] added a competition for comedy to the much earlier competition for tragedy.<ref name="Handley-355"/> The comedy of the fifth century is known as [[Old Comedy]], and it comes down to us solely in the eleven surviving plays of Aristophanes, along with a few fragments.<ref name="Handley-355"/> Sixty years after the end of Aristophanes' career, the next author of comedies to have any substantial body of work survive is [[Menander]], whose style is known as [[New Comedy]].<ref>{{harvnb|Handley|1985|p=356}}</ref>