Where to find sources for Ancient Greece
Exploring the world of Ancient Greece begins with the surviving sources that bring it to life: whether you are searching for inscriptions from Classical Athens, translated texts from Homer and Herodotus, or detailed academic research on Greek culture, knowing where to look is an important part of the research process.
Here, we list the most reliable online resources for both primary and secondary sources, including archaeological databases, museum collections, and scholarly archives.
From ancient inscriptions to modern interpretations, these resources help to support you when investigating one of history’s most influential civilisations.
Primary Sources
Greek and Roman Materials - Perseus Tufts
This website provides a plethora of ancient texts, many in the original languages, along with English Translations.
Ancient Greece - Ancient History Sourcebook
Fordham University provides a list of links to online primary sources from the classical era.
Search the museum's extensive artefact collection.
National Archaeological Museum of Athens
The National Archaeological Museum of Athens is the largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the most important museums in the world devoted to ancient Greek art.
This is a website which publishes the inscriptions of ancient Athens and Attica in English translation. The translations include, as a minimum, an indication of the text translated, the name of the translator and key references. Further information about the inscriptions, including historical notes, is being added gradually.
American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Educational resources to learn more about the Athenian Agora and Ancient Corinth, from archaeological fieldwork, to ancient society and modern Greece. Discover photos, videos, and curriculum for Kindergarten through 12th grade from our educational programs. All educational programs and resources are offered by the ASCSA free of charge.
Overview of Ancient Greece Sources
These historical sources examine how the ancient Greeks understood their own past, society, and political systems.
These sources provide valuable evidence about the origins, religious significance, events, traditions, and social rules of the games.
These sources trace the development of Athens across many centuries, from stories about the city’s divine patronage and early rulers before moving into accounts of lawmaking, tyranny, democracy, warfare, and empire.
Historical sources on ancient Sparta
The sources on this page offer a range of ancient perspectives on Spartan society, drawn from four Greek writers whose lives and experiences.
Ancient Greek Religion Sources
These sources show how Greek writers described Olympus, Tartarus, Elysium, demi-gods, temples, statues, and rituals.
These sources provide valuable ancient perspectives on these wars, from the dramatic clashes at Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis to the political and military developments that followed in the Greek world.
Ancient Greek Funerary Practices Sources
These sources examine beliefs about Charon, the ferryman who carried souls across the rivers of the underworld, as well as the idea of Elysium as a peaceful destination for certain individuals after death.
Secondary Sources
Ancient Greece - History of the Ancient World
A website that offers academic and popular articles about the Ancient World.
An online academic database used by universities worldwide that is a superb resource for History students. To view full articles, you will require membership.
Ancient Greece Flipboard Magazine
A collection of online articles and news reports about ancient Greece.
Please Note: Some internet browsers do not handle the Flipboard website very well, and it is sometimes better to have the Flipboard App on your device to view the magazine.
This searches internet sites for academic articles and books. It often only provides one or two pages, but it is often enough to find quotes and bibliographical details.
Search millions of free academic articles, chapters, and theses.