_Xenophon_, whose works are well known, lived about the year 398 before Christ. _Ctesias_, who wrote a history of the Assyrians and Persians, which Justin and Diodorus have prefered to that of Herodotus, lived also at this time. Some fragments of his compositions have been preserved. The works of _Plato_ are numerous--they are all written, except twelve letters, in the form of a dialogue. 388. Of the 64 orations of Isæus, 10 are extant. Demosthenes imitated him. 377. About 32 of the orations of _Isocrates_, who lived at the same time, remain. All the compositions of the historian _Theopompus_ are lost, except a few fragments quoted by ancient writers. 354. {302} _Ephorus_ lived in his time--he wrote a history commencing with the return of the Heraclidæ and ending with the 20th year of Philip of Macedon. It was in 30 books and is frequently quoted by Strabo and others. Almost all the writings of _Aristotle_ are extant. Diogenes Laertes has given a catalogue of them. His Art of Poetry has been imitated by Horace. _Æschines_, his contemporary, wrote 5 orations and 9 epistles. The orations alone are extant. 340. _Demosthenes_ was his contemporary and rival. _Theophrastus_ composed many books and treatises--Diogenes enumerates 200. Of these 20 are extant--among which are a history of stones--treatises on plants, on the winds, signs of fair weather, &c.--also, his Characters, a moral treatise. 320. _Menander_ was his pupil; lie was called prince of the new comedy. Only a few fragments remain of 108 comedies which he wrote. _Philemon_ was contemporary with these two. The fragments of some of his comedies are printed with those of Menander. _Megasthenes_ lived about this time. He wrote about the Indians and other oriental nations. His history is often quoted by the ancients. There is a work now extant which passes for his composition, but which is spurious. _Epicurus_ also lived now. He wrote 300 volumes according to Diogenes. _Chrysippus_ indeed, rivalled him in the number, but not in the merit of his productions. They were contemporaries. 280. _Bion_, the pastoral poet, whose Idyllia are so celebrated, lived about this time. It is probable that _Moschus_, also a pastoral poet, was his contemporary--from the affection with which he mentions him. _Theocritus_ distinguished himself by his poetical compositions, of which 30 Idyllia and some epigrams remain--also, a ludicrous poem called Syrinx. Virgil imitated him. B.C. 280. _Aratus_ flourished now; he wrote a poem on Astronomy, also some hymns and epigrams. _Lycophron_ also lived at this time. The titles of 20 of his tragedies are preserved. There is extant a strange work of this poet, call Cassandra, or Alexandra,--it contains about 1500 verses, from whose obscurity the author has been named Tenebrosus. In the Anthology is preserved a most beautiful hymn to Jupiter, written by _Cleanthes_,--of whose writings none except this is preserved.