SURVIVING MANUSCRIPTS OF ANCIENT AUTHORS

AUTHORS WRITINGS APPROXIMATE EARLIEST TIME COPIES

DATE WRITTEN COPY-A.D SPAN EXTANT

HOMER Mythology 900 B.C. 400 B.C. 500 643

SOPHOCLES Tragedy 496-406 B.C. 1,000 1,400 193

HERODOTUS History 480-425 B.C. 900 1,300 8

EURIPIDES Tragedy 480-406 B.C. 1,100 1,500 9

THUCYDIDES History 460-400 B.C. 900 1,300 8

ARISTOPHANES Comedy 450-385 B.C. 900 1,200 10

PLATO Various 427-347 B.C. 900 1,200 7

ARISTOTLE Science 384-322 B.C. 1,100 1,400 49+

DEMOSTHENES Politics 383-322 B.C. 1,100 1,300 c. 200

CAESAR Politics 100-44 B.C. 900 1,000 10

LIVY History 59B.C.-A.D.17 500 500 20

LUCRETIUS Di. Poem 60 B.C. 1050 1,100 2

CATULLUS Poetry 54 B.C. 1,550 1,600 3

VIRGIL Poetry 50-19 B.C. 300 300

HORACE History 20 B.C. 900 900

c. NINE MEN New Test. A.D. 40-95 120 25 24,000

PLINY/YOUNG History A.D. 61-113 850 750 7

SUETONIUS Biography A.D. 70-160 950 800 8

TACITUS Annals A.D. 100 1,100 1,000 20

TACITUS History A.D. 100 1,000 900 1

MINOR WORKS

New Testament manuscripts are comprised of Greek copies and

translation copies. The chart shows approximate numbers and dates.

SURVIVING MANUSCRIPTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

NEW TESTAMENT A.D. DATE A.D. DATE OF TOTAL

GREEK MANUSCRIPTS FIRST MADE OLDEST COPY NUMBER

Minuscules 9th Cent 9th Cent 2,880

Lectionaries 4th Cent 4th Cent 2,300

Uncials 3rd Cent 3rd Cent 275

Papyri 1st Cent 2nd Cent 100

NEW TESTAMENT A.D. DATE A.D. DATE COPIES

TRANSLATION FIRST MADE OLDEST COPY KNOWN

Latin Vulgate 400 450 10,000

Slavonic 850 950? 4,100

Armenian 400 887 2,587

Ethiopic 500? 1250 2,000

Syriac Peshitta 425 450 350

Georgian 450 897 300?

Coptic 250 350 100

Arabic 700? 850 75

Old Latin 180 370 50

Nubian 550 900? 10?

Anglo Saxon 950 950 9

Gothic 350 450 6

Sogdian ? ? 3

Old Syriac ? ? 2

Persian ? 1350 2

Old Syraic 200 400 2?

Frankish ? 750 1