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Bibliothēkē
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Bibliothēkē

work by Diodorus
Also known as: “Bibliotheca historica”
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Quick Summary

The Bibliothēkē (or Bibliotheca historica) was a comprehensive universal history written by the Greek historian Diodorus Siculus in the 1st century BCE. This extensive work aimed to cover history from mythological times up to 60 BCE.1

The Bibliothēkē was divided into 40 books, with surviving sections covering Books 1-5 and 11-20. These books detail the mythic history of various peoples, the period leading up to Alexander the Great's death, and the history up to the beginning of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. Diodorus compiled his history from earlier authors, making his work a valuable resource where other sources are lost. His key sources included Ephorus for Greek history and Polybius and Posidonius for Roman history.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
6 Britannica Sources
  1. Diodorus Siculus
  2. library - Greece and Alexandria
  3. Polybius
  4. Apollodorus of Athens
  5. historiography - Polybius
  6. Ephorus

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