In general, a citation of an ancient work begins with the abbreviation for the author's name, followed by the appropriate abbreviation for the title of the work being cited (e.g., Ar. Av. = Aristophanes' Aves (Birds)). If the author of the work is unknown, sometimes only the abbreviation for the title is used (e.g., Anth. Pal. = Anthologia Palatina). On the other hand, if only one work survives by a particular author, sometimes only the abbreviation for the author's name is used (e.g., Ach. Tat. = Achilles Tatius' The Adventures of Leucippe and Clitophon).

You can tell the difference between an author abbreviation and a title abbreviation by noting the style of type used for each. Author abbreviations appear in plain type (e.g., Aesch. = Aeschylus), whereas title abbreviations appear in italic or underlined type (Ag. or Ag. = Agammemnon).

Once the abbreviations are written in the citation, then a series of numbers and/or letters are given that refer to sections of the work, which has been subdivided for reference purposes.

To use these abbreviation lists, look for the first abbreviation (they're in alphabetical order). If you have two abbreviations (author, work), then look under the entry for the author to find the appropriate work. Wherever possible and appropriate, we've given you the names of each work in Greek, Latin and English.

Please note: This abbreviations list is still under development. You may notice omissions and place-holder characters. If you find an error, or are aware of an omission, please contact us by email.

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