Short Introduction

Trismegistos Authors is a database of authors of the ancient world. It should include all authors who wrote between 800 BC and AD 800, but currently it is primarily based on the Leuven Database of Ancient Books [LDAB], and focuses on those attested in sources dating before AD 800. Eventually, we aim to include also the authors attested only as fragments in other works. We have also included (mainly Greek) authors from later periods, through Pinakes and the Clavis Historicorum Tardae Antiquitates [CHTA]. In these cases the record will lead the user to those databases for more detailed information about manuscripts and background.

Coverage

Trismegistos Authors is clearly work in progress. There are currently 8178 ancient authors and 19797 works. Note that for the more recent authors, after AD 800, we currently do not have any information about their works. As to the authors themselves, there are still doubles in the list; the information about the authors is generally limited. All authors have been assigned dates of birth and death, and are assumed to have lived about 75 years if no specific information is available. For their works, we aim to be as precise as posisble, but very often there is currently no information. You can send us an email with additions or corrections for your own personal data. Should you want to help us with any of this in a more systematic way, please do contact us. We will be eternally grateful.

How to cite

Please consult this page.

Credits

A database of ancient authors from 800 BC up to AD 800, in all languages or however they have been transmitted.
General coordination: M. Depauw
Database structure (Filemaker 7-18): T. Gheldof, M. Depauw
Online version (PHP & MySQL): M. Depauw
Online version (web design): Y. Broux
Data processing: W. Clarysse, H. Verreth, N. Dogaer, T. Gheldof, M. Depauw.