Jean's Thoughts 91.7K subscribers · May 22, 2026

10 Underrated Ancient Greek & Roman Books

Reviews10

If you're looking for somewhere to start, the collection of his plays that I first read is entitled Four Comedies from Oxford University Press and it includes The Braggart Soldier, The Brothers Menaechmus, The Haunted House and The Pot of Gold.

HeroidesOvid
Loved it

But I hear less people discussing his Heroides, which I think is an incredibly fascinating piece of literature.

IdyllsTheocritus
Loved it

And I think that's a shame, because I really enjoy Theocritus's idylls. I also think they're easy to read.

OneirocriticaArtemidorus
Loved it

I think it's a really interesting book to read, not just because sometimes it's fun to read a slightly wild theory from the past, but because it can tell us a lot about the associations between certain subjects, what they mean about us and the wider world, and what that can tell us about ancient people.

PosthomericaQuintus Smyrnaeus
Loved it

And though it's a less widely talked about piece of ancient Greek literature, I do think it's a must-read for any big, like, Homer and Trojan War history fans. There will be so much in there to sink your teeth into you've never got to before.

True HistoryLucian
Loved it

But it makes for a really fun and entertaining read, and I think you'd have a lot of fun reading it, basically.