The Epic of Gilgamesh
- Epic poem from Mesopotamia
- Gilgamesh, King or Uruk, sets out on a journey to find eternal life
The Iliad
- Epic poem from Greece
- Written by "Homer"
- About the Trojan War
The Odyssey
- Epic poem from Greece
- Written by "Homer"
- About Odysseus' journey back home from the Trojan War
The Aeneid
- Epic poem from Rome
- Written by Virgil
- About Aeneas, a survivor of the Trojan War, who goes on to become the ancestor of the Romans
The Prince
- Political treatise/text from the Italian Renaissance
- Written by Niccolo Machiavelli
- Themes:
- Rulers should have absolute power
- The end justifies the means
- One should do good if possible, but do evil when necessary
The Praise of Folly
- Text from the Northern Renaissance
- Written by Erasmus
- Criticized church officials and scholars with satire
Utopia
- Text from the Northern Renaissance
- Written by Sir Thomas More
- Described the ideal society