Editing Lost literary work

{{Short description|Work produced some time in the past of which no surviving copies are known to exist}}
{{About|lost documents|other types of lost works|Lost artworks|and|Lost media}}

A '''lost literary work''' (referred throughout this article just as a lost work) is a document, [[literary work]], or piece of multimedia, produced of which no surviving copies are known to exist, meaning it can be known only through reference, or [[Literary fragment|literary fragments]]. This term most commonly applies to works from the [[Classics|classical world]], although it is increasingly used in relation to modern works. A work may be lost to history through the destruction of an original [[manuscript]] and all later copies.

Works—or, commonly, small fragments of works—have survived by being found by [[archaeology|archaeologists]] during investigations, or accidentally by laypersons such as, for example, the finding [[Nag Hammadi library]] scrolls. Works also survived when they were reused as [[bookbinding]] materials, quoted or included in other works, or as [[palimpsest]]s, where an original document is imperfectly erased so the substrate on which it was written can be reused. The discovery, in 1822, of [[Cicero]]'s ''[[De re publica]]'' was one of the first major recoveries of a lost ancient text from a palimpsest. Another famous example is the discovery of the [[Archimedes Palimpsest]], which was used to make a prayer book almost 300 years after the original work was written. A work may be recovered in a library, as a lost or mislabeled [[codex]], or as a part of another book or codex.

Well known but not recovered works are described by [[mwod:compilation|compilations]] that did survive, such as the ''[[Naturalis Historia]]'' of [[Pliny the Elder]] or the ''[[De architectura]]'' of [[Vitruvius]]. Sometimes authors will destroy their own works. On other occasions, authors instruct others to destroy their work after their deaths. Such instructions are not always followed: [[Virgil]]'s ''[[Aeneid]]'' was saved by [[Augustus]], and [[Kafka]]'s novels by [[Max Brod]]. Handwritten copies of [[manuscripts]] existed in limited numbers before the era of printing. The destruction of [[List of libraries in the ancient world|ancient libraries]], whether by intent, chance or neglect, resulted in the loss of numerous works. Works to which no subsequent reference is preserved remain unknown.

Deliberate destruction of works may be termed ''literary crime'' or ''literary vandalism'' (see [[book burning]]).

Through statistical analysis, it is estimated that the number of lost [[Incunable]] (works printed in Europe before 1501) editions is at least 20,000.<ref>J. Green, F. McIntyre, P. Needham (2011), "The Shape of Incunable Survival and Statistical Estimation of Lost Editions", ''Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America'' 105 (2), {{pp.|141|175}}. doi:https://doi.org/10.1086/680773</ref>

==Antiquity (to 500 CE)==
{{dynamic list}}

===Specific titles===
* [[Enheduanna]] (24th–23rd century BC)
** ''Hymn of Praise of Enheduanna'', only survives in fragments.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Westenholz |first1=Joan Goodnick |title=Enḫeduanna, En-Priestess, Hen of Nanna, Spouse of Nanna |editor-last1=Behrens |editor-first1=Hermann |editor-last2=Loding |editor-first2=Darlene |editor-last3=Roth |editor-first3=Martha T. |encyclopedia=DUMU-E-DUB-BA-A : Studies in Honor of Åke W. Sjöberg |date=1989 |publisher=The University Museum |location=Philadelphia, PA |isbn=0-934718-98-9 |pages=539–556}}</ref>
* [[Homer]] (8th or 7th century BC)
** ''[[Margites]]''<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cambridge-guide-to-homer/margites/964C19FB084D09D34B369CFC00D35032|title=Homer's Margites|chapter=Margites |website=www.Cambridge.org|date=February 22, 2020|pages=171–172 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-02719-0 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.bookstr.com/article/the-margites-homers-lost-comedy-youve-never-heard-of/|title=Homer's Lost Comedy|website=Bookstr.com|date=August 7, 2021}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-top-10-books-lost-to-time-83373197/|title=Top 10 Lost Books|website=www.Smithsonianmg.com|date=September 19, 2011|access-date=January 21, 2024}}</ref>
** The ''[[Odyssey]]'' mentions the blind singer [[Demodocus (Odyssey character)|Demodocus]] performing a poem recounting the otherwise unknown "Quarrel of [[Odysseus]] and [[Achilles]]", which might have been an actual work that did not survive.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chs.harvard.edu/chapter/3-a-conflict-between-odysseus-and-achilles-in-the-iliad/|title=Quarrel of Odysseus & Achilles|website=www.Harvard.edu}}</ref>
* The [[Hesiod]]ic ''[[Catalogue of Women]]'' (sometime between 750 and 650 BC)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theoi.com/Text/HesiodCatalogues.html|title=Catalogue of Women|website=www.Theoi.com}}</ref>
* The work of the [[Cyclic poets]] (excluding [[Homer]], dated between the 8th century and 5th century BC), specifically:
** six epics of the [[Epic Cycle]]: ''[[Cypria]]'', ''[[Aethiopis]]'', the ''[[Little Iliad]]'', the ''[[Iliupersis]]'' ("Sack of Troy"), ''[[Nostoi]]'' ("Returns"), and ''[[Telegony]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://chs.harvard.edu/primary-source/epic-cycle-sb/|title=Lost Works of the Epic Cycle|website=www.Harvard.edu|date=November 2, 2020}}</ref>
** four epics of the [[Theban Cycle]]: ''[[Oedipodea]]'', ''[[Thebaid (Greek poem)|Thebaid]]'', ''[[Epigoni (epic)|Epigoni]]'', and ''[[Alcmeonis]]''.
** [[Cyclic poets|other early Greek epics]]: ''[[Titanomachy (epic poem)|Titanomachy]]'', ''[[Peisander|Heracleia]]'', ''[[Capture of Oechalia]]'', ''[[Naupactia]]'', ''[[Thestorides of Phocaea|Phocais]]'', ''[[Minyas (poem)|Minyas]]''
* [[Thespis]] ({{circa|6th century BC}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thespis-Greek-poet|title=Lost Works of Thespis|website=www.britannica.com|access-date=January 13, 2024}}</ref> (possibly erroneous attributions or forgeries made during the Common Era)
** ''Contest of [[Pelias]] and [[Phorbas]]''
** ''Hiereis'' (or ''Priests'')
** ''Hemitheoi'' (or ''Demigods'')
** ''Pentheus''
* [[Thales]] ({{circa|624/623|548/545 BC}})
** ''On the Solstice'' (possible lost work)
** ''On the Equinox'' (possible lost work)
* [[Anaximander]] ({{circa|610|546 BC}})<ref>{{cite book |last=Soudas|date=900|title=[[The Suda]]}}</ref>
** ''On Nature'' (or ''Perì Phúseôs'')
** ''Rotation of the Earth'' (or ''Gês Períodos'')
** ''On Fixed Stars'' (or ''Perì Tôn Aplanôn'')
** ''The Celestial Sphere'' (or ''Sphaîra)'')
* The ''[[Hellespontine Sibyl]]'' (c. 6th century BC)
** [[Sibylline Books]]
* [[Pherecydes of Syros]] (6th century BCE)
** ''Heptamychia''
* [[Ctesias]] (fifth century BC)
** ''Persica'', a history of [[Assyria]] and [[History of Iran#Classical antiquity|Persia]] in 23 books
** ''[[Indica (Ctesias)|Indica]]'', an account of India
* [[Aeschylus]] (525–455 BC)<ref>{{Cite book|last= Wright|first= Matthew|title= Lost Plays of Greek Tragedy (Volume 2): Aeschylus, Sophocles & Euripides|date= 2018|publisher= Bloomsbury Academic}}</ref>
** ''Alcmene'' 
** ''The Argo''
** ''Atalanta'' 
** ''The Bacchae'' 
** ''Callisto'' 
** ''The Children of Heracles'' 
** ''Circe''
** ''The Danaids'' 
** ''The Egyptians''
** ''Epigoni'' 
** ''Iphigenia''
** ''Ixion''
** ''The Lion''
** ''Memnon'' 
** ''[[Achilleis (trilogy)|Myrmidons]]'', survives in fragments.
** ''[[Achilleis (trilogy)|Nereids]]'', survives in fragments. 
** ''Niobe'' 
** ''The Nurses of Dionysus''
** ''Penelope''
** ''Pentheus''
** ''Philoctetes''
** ''[[Achilleis (trilogy)|Phrygians]]'' (or ''Hector’s Ransom''), survives in fragments. 
** ''The Priestesses'' 
** ''Prometheus The Fire-Bearer'' 
** ''Prometheus The Fire-Kindler''
** ''Prometheus Unbound''
** ''Semele''
** ''Sisyphus The Runaway''
** ''Sisyphus The Stone-Roller''
** ''The Sphinx'' 
** ''Telephus''
** ''The Thracian Women''
** ''The Weighing of Souls'' 
** ''Women of Salamis''
** ''The Youths'' 
* [[Anaxagoras]] (c. 500 – 428 BC)
** ''Book of Philosophy''. Only fragments of the first part have survived.
* [[Xenocles]] (c. 5th century BC)<ref name="auto">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Zimmerman|first=Bernhard|entry=Xenocles [2]|title=Brill's New Pauly|year=2006|doi=10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e12212800}}</ref>
** ''Athamas''
** ''Bacchae''
** ''Licymnius''
** ''Lycaon''
** ''Myes''
** ''Oedipus''
* [[Sophocles]] (c. 497 – 406 BC)<ref>{{Cite book|last= Wilkins|first= John|title= Lost Plays of Sophocles|date= 1986|publisher= Cambridge University Press}}</ref>
** ''Akhilleôs Erasti'' (or ''Male Lover of Achilles''). 
** ''Aigeus'' 
** ''[[Aithiopes]]''
** ''Alexandros''
** ''[[Amphiaraus (play)|Amphiaurus]]''
** ''[[Amycos Satyrykos]]''
** ''Antenoridae'' 
** ''Cassandra'' 
** ''Cerberus'' 
** ''Clytemnestra''
** ''Daedalus'' 
** ''Danae''
** ''Dionysiaca''
** ''[[Epigoni (play)|Epigoni]]'', only small fragments survive.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://grbs.library.duke.edu/index.php/grbs/article/download/7711/4853/14707|title=Epigoni by Sophocles|website=www.Duke.edu}}</ref>
** ''Eris'' 
** ''Helenes Apaitesis'' (or ''Helen’s Demand''). 
** ''Helenes Gamos'' (or ''Helen’s Marriage''). 
** ''Herakles Epi Tainaro'' (or ''Heracles At Taenarum''). 
** ''[[Ichneutae]]'', only a fragmentary 400 lines survive making it the second best surviving [[Satyr play]] behind [[Euripides]]'s [[Cyclops (play)|''Cyclops'']].
** ''Inachos'', only small fragments survive. 
** ''Ion'' 
** ''Iphigenia'' 
** ''Ixion''
** ''Minos'' 
** ''Niobe''
** ''[[Odysseus Acanthoplex]]'', only fragments survive. 
** ''Odysseus Mainomenos'' (or ''Odysseus Gone Mad'') 
** ''Pandora''
** ''Peleus''
** ''Phaedra''
** ''Philoctetes In Troy''
** ''Phoenix''
** ''Priam'' 
** ''Sisyphus''
** ''Tantalus''
** ''[[Tereus (play)|Tereus]]'', only fragmentary knowledge survives. 
** ''Theseus''
** ''[[Triptolemos (play)|Triptolemos]]'', only small fragments survive. 
* [[Ion of Chios]] (c. 490 BC – c. 420 BC)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theoi.com/Text/ListTragedians.html#Ion|title=Ion of Chios|website=www.Theoi.com|access-date= August 4, 2024}}</ref>
** ''Agamemnon''
** ''Alcmene''
** ''Argives''
** ''Eurytidai'' (or ''Sons of Erytus'') 
** ''Laertes''
** ''Omphale''
** ''Phoenix and Caeneus''
** ''Phoenix Deuteros''
** ''Phrouroi'' (or ''Sentinels'')
** ''Teucer'' 
* [[Protagoras]] (c. 490 BC – c. 420 BC)
** "On the Gods" (essay)
** ''On the Art of Disputation''
** ''On the Original State of Things''
** ''On Truth''
* [[Gorgias]] (483–375 BC)
** ''On Non-Existence'' (or ''On Nature''). Only two sketches of it exist.
** ''Epitaphios''. What exists is thought to be only a small fragment of a significantly longer piece.
* [[Pherecydes of Leros]] (c. 480 BC)
** A history of [[Leros]]
** ''On Iphigeneia'', an essay
** ''On the Festivals of Dionysus''
* [[Euripides]] (c. 480 – c. 406 BC)
** ''[[Alcmaeon in Corinth]]'' (405 BC), only fragments survive.
** ''[[Alcmaeon in Psophis]]'' (438 BC), only fragments survive.
** ''Alexandros'' (415 BC) 
** ''[[Andromeda (play)|Andromeda]]'' (412 BC), only fragments survive.
** ''Antiope'' (410 BC) 
** ''[[Archelaus (play)|Archelaus]]'' (410 BC), only fragments survive.
** ''[[Bellerophon (play)|Bellerophon]]'' (430 BC), only fragments survive. 
** ''Captive Melanippe'' (412 BC) 
** ''Cresphontes'' (425 BC)
** ''Cretan Women'' (438 BC)
** ''Cretans'' (435 BC) 
** ''[[Dictys]]'' (431 BC), only fragments survive. 
** ''Erectheus'' (422 BC) 
** ''[[Hypsipyle (play)|Hypsipyle]]'' (410 BC), only fragments survive.
** ''Palamedes'' (415 BC) 
** ''[[Peliades]]'' (455 BC)
** ''[[Phaethon (play)|Phaethon]]'' (420 BC), only fragments survive.
** ''[[Philoctetes (Euripides play)|Philoctetes]]'' (431 BC), only fragments survive.
** ''[[Sisyphus fragment|Sisyphus]]'' (415 BC) 
** ''Sthenboea'' (429 BC) 
** ''Telephus'' (438 BC)
** ''[[Theristai]]'' (or ''Reapers'') (431 BC)
** ''Wise Melanippe'' (420 BC) 
* [[Socrates]] (c. 470–399 BC)
** Verse versions of [[Aesop's Fables]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chs.harvard.edu/chapter/part-i-greece-15-socrates-the-new-aesop/#:~:text=%5B37%5D%20Socrates%20makes%20up%20Aesopic,the%20dialogue%20of%20Socrates'%20death.|title=Socrates on Aesop|date=2006}}</ref>
* [[Pherecydes of Athens]] (c. 465 BC)
** Genealogies of the gods and heroes, originally in ten books; numerous fragments have been preserved.
* [[Prodicus]] ({{Circa|465 BC|lk=no}} – c. 395 BC)
** ''On Nature''
** ''On the Nature of Man''
** "On Propriety of Language"
** ''On the Choice of Heracles''
* [[Agathon]] (c. 448 – c. 400 BC)
** ''Aerope'' 
** ''Alcmaeon''
** ''[[Anthos (play)|Anthos]]'' (or ''The Flower'')<ref>{{cite book|title=Classical Literary Criticism|chapter=[[Poetics (Aristotle)|Poetics]]|author=Aristotle|author-link=Aristotle|translator=Dorsch, T.S.|page=69|year=2000|publisher=Penguin Classics|isbn=9780140446517}}</ref>
** ''Mysoi'' (or ''Mysians'')
** ''Telephos'' (or ''Telephus'')
** ''Thyestes''
* [[Aristophanes]] (c. 446 BC – c. 386 BC)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.greekmythology.com/Plays/Aristophanes/aristophanes.html|title=Aristophanes}}</ref>
** Banqueters (427 BC)
** Babylonians (426 BC) 
** The Clouds (first version 423 BC)
** Amphiaraus (414 BC)
** Plutus (first version 408 BC) 
** Cocalus (387 BC) 
** Aiolosicon (387 BC)
* [[Speusippus]] (c. 408 – 339/8 BC)
** ''On Pythagorean Numbers''
* [[Aristotle]] (384–322 BC)
** second book of ''[[Poetics (Aristotle)|Poetics]]'', dealing with comedy
** ''On the Pythagoreans''<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/283647|title=Aristotle's Monograph on the Pythagoreans|jstor=283647 |last1=Philip |first1=J. A. |journal=Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association |date=1963 |volume=94 |pages=185–198 |doi=10.2307/283647 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>
** ''[[Protrepticus (Aristotle)|Protrepticus]]'' (fragments survived)
* [[Eudemus of Rhodes|Eudemus]] (c. 370 BCE – c. 300 BCE)
** ''History of Arithmetics'', on the early history of [[Ancient Greek mathematics|Greek mathematics]] (only one short quote survives)
** ''History of Astronomy'', on the early history of [[Ancient Greek astronomy|Greek astronomy]] (several quotes survive)
** ''History of Geometry'', on the early history of Greek [[geometry]] (several quotes survive)
* [[Ptolemy I Soter]] (c. 364 – 282 BC)
** ''History of Alexander''<ref>{{Cite book|title=Die Fragmente der griechischen Historiker, Teil 2, Zeitgeschichte. – B. Spezialgeschichten, Autobiographien und Memoiren, Zeittafeln [Nr. 106-261]|last=Jacoby|first=Felix|publisher=Weidmann|year=1926|oclc=769308142|location=Berlin|pages=752–769, no. 138, "Ptolemaios Lagu"}}</ref>
* [[Callisthenes]] (c. 360 – 327 BCE)
** An account of [[Alexander]]'s expedition
** A history of Greece from the [[Peace of Antalcidas]] (387) to the [[Third Sacred War]] (357)
** A history of the [[Third Sacred War|Phocian war]]
* [[Cleitarchus]] (mid to late 4th century BCE)
** ''[[History of Alexander]]''
* [[Pytheas]] of Massalia (c. 350 BC, fl. c. 320–306 BC)
** τὰ περὶ τοῦ Ὠκεανοῦ (''ta peri tou Okeanou'') "On the Ocean"
* [[Aristarchus of Samos]] (c. 310 – c. 230 BCE)
** Astronomy book outlining his [[heliocentrism]] ([[astronomical]] model in which the Earth and planets revolve around a relatively stationary Sun)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/Biographies/Aristarchus/#:~:text=The%20only%20surviving%20work%20of,by%20Archimedes%20has%20been%20lost.|title=Aristarchus of Samos Lost Work|access-date=January 13, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Manetho]] (early third century BC)
** ''[[Aegyptiaca (Manetho)|Ægyptiaca]]'' (''History of Egypt'') in three books. Few, indirect, fragments survive.
* [[Berossus]] (beginning of the 3rd century BC)
** ''[[Babyloniaca (Berossus)|Babyloniaca]]'' (''History of Babylonia'')
* [[Euclid]] (fl. 300 BC)
** ''Conics'', a work on [[conic section]]s later extended by [[Apollonius of Perga]] into his famous work on the subject.
** ''[[Porism]]s'', the exact meaning of the title is controversial (probably "[[Corollary|corollaries]]").
** ''Pseudaria'', or ''Book of Fallacies'', an elementary text about [[Fallacy|fallacies]] in [[Reason|reasoning]].
** ''Surface Loci'' concerned either [[Locus (mathematics)|loci]] (sets of [[Point (geometry)|points]]) on [[Surface (mathematics)|surfaces]] or loci which were themselves surfaces.
* [[Archimedes]] (c. 287 – c. 212 BC)
** ''[[On Sphere-Making]]''
** ''On Polyhedra''
* [[Ctesibius]] (285–222 BC)
** ''On pneumatics'', a work describing [[Piston pump|force pumps]]
** ''Memorabilia'', a compilation of his research works
* [[Livius Andronicus]] (284–204 BC) 
** ''Achilles''
** ''Aegisthus''
** ''Aiax Mastigophorus'' (or ''Ajax with the Whip'')
** ''Andromeda''
** ''Antiopa'' 
** ''Danae''
** ''Equus Troianus''
** ''Gladiolus'', only fragments survive 
** ''Hermiona''
** ''Ludius''
** ''Odusia'', a [[Latin]] translation of Homer’s Odyssey, only fragments survive 
** ''Tereus''
** ''Virgo''
* [[Eratosthenes]] (c. 276 BC – c. 195/194 BC)
** Περὶ τῆς ἀναμετρήσεως τῆς γῆς (''On the Measurement of the Earth''; lost, summarized by [[Cleomedes]])
** ''Geographica'' (lost, criticized by [[Strabo]])
** ''Arsinoe'' (a memoir of queen [[Arsinoe III of Egypt|Arsinoe]]; lost; quoted by [[Athenaeus]] in the ''[[Deipnosophistae]]'')
* [[Cato the Elder]] (234–149 BC)
** ''Origines'', a 7-book history of [[Rome]] and the Italian states.
** ''Carmen de moribus'', a book of prayers or [[Incantation|incantations]] for the dead in verse.
** ''Praecepta ad Filium'', a collection of maxims.
** A collection of his speeches.
* Nicagoras, Athenian sophist (2nd century BC)
** ''Lives of Famous People''
** ''On Cleopatra in Troas''
** ''Embassy Speech to Philip the Roman Emperor''
* Minucianus, son of Nicagoras the Athenian sophist (2nd century BC)
** ''Art of Rhetoric''
** ''Progymnasmata''
* [[Nicander]] (2nd century BC)
** ''Aetolica'', a prose history of [[Aetolia]].
** ''Heteroeumena'', a mythological epic.
** ''Georgica'' and ''Melissourgica'', of which considerable fragments are preserved.
* [[Agatharchides]] (2nd century BC)
**''Ta kata ten Asian'' (''Affairs in Asia'') in 10 books
** ''Ta kata ten Europen'' (''Affairs in Europe'') in 49 books
** ''Peri ten Erythras thalasses'' (''On the Erythraean Sea'') in 5 books
* [[Apollodorus of Athens]] (c. 180 BC – after 120 BC)
** ''Chronicle'' (''Χρονικά''), a Greek history in verse
** ''On the Gods'' (''Περὶ θεῶν''), known through quotes to have included [[Etymology|etymologies]] of the names and [[Epithet|epithets]] of the [[List of Greek deities|gods]]
** A twelve-book essay about Homer's [[Catalogue of Ships]]
* [[Sulla]] (138–78 BC)
** ''Memoirs'', referenced by [[Plutarch]]
* [[Varro]] (116–27 BC)
** ''Saturarum Menippearum libri CL or Menippean Satires in 150 books''
** ''Antiquitates rerum humanarum et divinarum libri XLI''
** ''Logistoricon libri LXXVI''
** ''Hebdomades vel de imaginibus''
** ''Disciplinarum libri IX''
* [[Marcus Tullius Cicero]] (106 BC – 43 BC)
** ''[[Hortensius (Cicero)|Hortensius]]'' a dialogue also known as "On Philosophy".
** ''[[Consolatio (Cicero)|Consolatio]]'', written to soothe his own sadness at the death of his daughter [[Tullia (daughter of Cicero)|Tullia]]
* [[Quintus Tullius Cicero]] (102 – 43 BC)
** Four tragedies in the Greek style: ''Troas'', ''Erigones'', ''Electra'', and one other.
* [[Diodorus Siculus]] (1st century BC)
** ''Bibliotheca historia'' (''Historical Library''). Of 40 books, only books 1–5 and 10–20 are [[wikt:extant|extant]].
* [[Alexander Polyhistor]] (first half of 1st century BC)
** ''[[Successions of Philosophers]]''
* [[Julius Caesar|Gaius Julius Caesar]] (100 BC – 44 BC)
** ''Anticatonis Libri II'' (only fragments survived)
** ''Carmina et prolusiones'' (only fragments survived)
** ''De analogia libri II ad M. Tullium Ciceronem''
** ''De astris liber''
** ''Dicta collectanea'' ("collected sayings", also known by the Greek title ''άποφθέγματα'')
** Letters (only fragments survived)
*** ''Epistulae ad Ciceronem'' ('Letters to Cicero')
*** ''Epistulae ad familiares'' ('Letters to Relatives')
** ''Iter'' ('journey')) (only one fragment survived)
** ''Laudes Herculis''
** ''Libri auspiciorum'' ("books of auspices", also known as ''Auguralia'')
** ''Oedipus''
** other works:
*** contributions to the ''libri pontificales'' as ''pontifex maximus''
*** possibly some early love poems
* [[Gaius Asinius Pollio (consul 40 BC)|Gaius Asinius Pollio]] (75 BC – AD 4)
** ''Historiae'' (''Histories'')
** ''Epitome'' by Gaius Asinius Pollio of Tralles
* [[Gaius Maecenas]] (c. 70 – 8 BC)
** ''Prometheus''; descriptive fragments from some other authors survive. Construct of book is surmised by researchers.
* [[Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus]] (64 BC – AD 8 or c. 12)
** Memoirs of the civil wars after the death of [[Julius Caesar|Caesar]], used by Suetonius and Plutarch
** [[Pastoral|Bucolic]] poems in Greek
* [[Strabo]] ( 64 or 63 BC – c. 24 AD)
** ''History''
* [[Augustus]] (63 BC – AD 14)
** ''Rescript to Brutus Respecting Cato''
** ''Exhortations to Philosophy''
** ''History of His Own Life''
** ''Sicily'' (a work in verse)
** ''Epigrams''
* [[Livy]] (59 BC – AD 17)
** 107 of the 142 books of ''[[Ab Urbe Condita Libri|Ab Urbe Condita]],'' a history of Rome are lost
* [[Verrius Flaccus]] (c. 55 BC – AD 20)
** ''De Orthographia: De Obscuris Catonis'', an elucidation of obscurities in the writings of [[Cato the Elder]]
** ''Saturnus'', dealing with questions of Roman ritual
** ''Rerum memoria dignarum libri'', an encyclopaedic work much used by [[Pliny the Elder]]
** ''Res Etruscae'', probably on [[augury]]
* [[Helvius Cinna]] (died 20 March 44 BC)
**''Zmyrna'', a mythological epic poem about the [[Incest|incestuous]] love of Smyrna (or [[Myrrha]]) for her father [[Cinyras]]
* [[Ovid]] 43 BC – 17/18 AD)
** ''Medea'', of which only two fragments survive.
* [[Tiberius]] (42 BC – AD 37)
** Autobiography ("brief and sketchy", per [[Suetonius]])
* [[Claudius]] (10 BC – AD 54)
** ''[[De arte aleae]]'' (''The art of playing dice'', a book on [[List of dice games|dice games]])
** an [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]] dictionary
** ''[[Tyrrhenika]]'', twenty volumes on Etruscan history
** a history of [[Augustus]]'s reign
** ''Carchedonica'', eight volumes on [[Ancient Carthage|Carthaginian]] history
** a defense of Cicero against the charges of [[Gaius Asinius Gallus|Asinius Gallus]]
* [[Seneca the Younger]] (c. 4 BC – AD 65)
** Book on signs, 5000 were compiled
** ''Against Superstitions,'' [[Augustine of Hippo|Augustine]] preserved some passages.
** Book on medicine. Either a planned or lost literary work
* [[Memnon of Heraclea]] (c. 1st century AD)
** ''History of [[Heraclea Pontica]]''
* [[Pamphilus of Alexandria]] (1st century AD)
** Comprehensive lexicon in 95 books of foreign or obscure words.
* [[Agrippina the Younger]] (AD 15 – AD 59)
** ''Casus suorum'' (''Misfortunes of her Family'', a memoir)
* [[Pliny the Elder]] (AD 23/24 – 79)
** ''History of the German Wars'', some quotations survive in [[Tacitus]]'s ''[[Annals (Tacitus)|Annals]]'' and ''[[Germania (book)|Germania]]''
** ''Studiosus'', a detailed work on [[rhetoric]]
** ''Dubii sermonis'', in eight books
** ''History of his Times'', in thirty-one books, also quoted by Tacitus.
** ''De jaculatione equestri'', a military handbook on missiles thrown from horseback.
* [[Quintilian]] (c. 35 – c. 100 AD)
** ''De Causis Corruptae Eloquentiae'' (''On the Causes of Corrupted Eloquence'')
* [[Lucan]] (39 AD – 65 AD)
** ''Catachthonion''
** ''Iliacon'' from the Trojan cycle
** ''Epigrammata''
** ''[[Adlocutio]] ad Pollam''
** ''Silvae''
** ''Saturnalia''
** ''Medea''
** ''Salticae Fabulae''
** ''Laudes Neronis'', a praise of [[Nero]]
** ''Orpheus''
** ''Prosa oratio in Octavium Sagittam''
** ''Epistulae ex Campania''
** ''De Incendio Urbis''
* [[Frontinus]] (c. 40 – 103 AD)
** ''De re militari'', a military manual
* [[Trajan]] (AD 53 – 117)
** ''[[Dacica]]'' (or ''De bello dacico'')
* [[Philo of Byblos]] (c. 64 – 141)
** ''Phoenician History'', a Greek translation of the original [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] book attributed to [[Sanchuniathon]]. Considerable fragments have been preserved, chiefly by Eusebius in the ''Praeparatio evangelica'' (i.9; iv.16).
* [[Suetonius]] (c. AD 69 – after AD 122)
** ''De Viris Illustribus'' (''On Famous Men'' – in the field of literature), to which belongs: ''De Illustribus Grammaticis'' (''Lives Of The Grammarians''), ''De Claris Rhetoribus'' (''Lives Of The Rhetoricians''), and ''Lives Of The Poets''. Some fragments exist.
** ''Lives of Famous Whores''
** ''Royal Biographies''
** ''Roma'' (''On Rome''), in four parts: ''Roman Manners & Customs'', ''The Roman Year'', ''The Roman Festivals'', and ''Roman Dress''.
** ''Greek Games''
** ''On Public Offices''
** ''On Cicero’s Republic''
** ''The Physical Defects of Mankind''
** ''Methods of Reckoning Time''
** ''An Essay on Nature''
** ''Greek Terms of Abuse''
** ''Grammatical Problems''
** ''Critical Signs Used in Books''
* [[Septimius Severus]] (145 – 211)
** ''Autobiography''
*[[Callinicus (Sophist)|Callinicus]] (3rd century AD)
**''Against the Philosophical Sects''
**''On the Renewal of Rome''
**''Prosphonetikon to Gallienus,''  a salute addressed to the emperor
**''To Cleopatra, On the History of Alexandria'', most likely dedicated to [[Zenobia]], who claimed descent from [[Cleopatra]]
**''To Lupus, On Bad Taste on Rhetoric''
* [[Disciples of Plotinus#Zoticus|Zoticus]] (3rd century AD)
** ''Story of Atlantis,'' a poem mentioned by [[Porphyry (philosopher)|Porphyry]]
* [[Cassius Longinus (philosopher)|Longinus]] (c. 213 – 273 AD) 
**''On The End: by Longinus in answer to Plotinus and Gentilianus Amelius'' (preface survives, quoted by [[Porphyry (philosopher)|Porphyry]])
**''On Impulse''
**''On Principles''
**''Lover of Antiquity''
**''On the Natural Life''
**''Difficulties in Homer''
**''Whether Homer is a Philosopher''
**''Homeric Problems and Solutions''
**''Things Contrary to History which the Grammarians Explain as Historical''
**''On Words in Homer with Multiple Senses''
**''Attic Diction''
**''Lexicon of [[Antimachus]] and [[Heracleon]]''
* [[Zenobia]] (c. 240 – c. 274)
** [[Epitome]] of the history of Alexandria and the Orient (according to the ''[[Historia Augusta]]'')
* [[Gaius Asinius Quadratus]] (fl. AD 248)
**''The Millennium'', a thousand-year history of Rome; thirty fragments remain
* [[Sulpicius Alexander]] (late fourth century AD)
** ''Historia'' (History)

====Unnamed works====
* Lost plays of [[Aeschylus]]. He is believed to have written some 90 plays, of which six survive. A seventh play is attributed to him. Fragments of his play ''Achilleis'' were said to have been discovered in the wrappings of a [[mummy]] in the 1990s.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3269965.stm | work=BBC News | title=Play revived using mummy extracts | date=14 November 2003 | access-date=4 April 2010}}</ref>
* Lost plays of [[Agathon]]. None of these survive.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Agathon|title=Agathon|website=www.britannica.com|access-date=January 13, 2024}}</ref>
* Lost poems of [[Alcaeus of Mytilene]]. Of a reported ten [[Scroll|scrolls]], there exist only quotes and numerous fragments.
* Lost [[Choir|choral]] poems of [[Alcman]]. Of six books of choral lyrics that were known (ca. 50–60 [[Hymn|hymns]]), only fragmentary quotations in other Greek authors were known until the discovery of a fragment in 1855, containing approximately 100 verses. In the 1960s, many more fragments were discovered and published from a dig at [[Oxyrhynchus]].
* Lost poems of [[Anacreon]]. Of the five books of [[Lyric poetry|lyrical]] pieces mentioned in the ''[[Suda]]'' and by [[Athenaeus]], only mere fragments collected from the citations of later writers now exist.
* Lost works of [[Anaximander]]. There are a few extant fragments of his works.
* Lost works of [[Apuleius]] in many genres, including a [[novel]], ''Hermagoras'', as well as poetry, [[Dialogue|dialogues]], hymns, and technical [[Treatise|treatises]] on politics, [[dendrology]], agriculture, medicine, [[natural history]], astronomy, music, and arithmetic.
* Lost plays of [[Aristarchus of Tegea]]. Of 70 pieces, only the titles of three of his plays, with a single line of the text, have survived.
* Lost plays of [[Aristophanes]]. He wrote 40 plays, 11 of which survive.
* Lost works of [[Aristotle]]. It is believed that we have about one third of his original works.<ref>[[Jonathan Barnes]], "Life and Work" in ''The Cambridge Companion to Aristotle'' (1995), p. 9.</ref>
* Lost work of [[Aristoxenus]]. He is said to have written 453 works, dealing with philosophy, [[ethics]] and music. His only extant work is ''Elements of Harmony''.
* Lost works of the historian [[Arrian]].
* Lost works of [[Callimachus]]. Of about 800 works, in verse and prose; only six hymns, 64 epigrams and some fragments survive; a considerable fragment of the epic ''[[Hecale]]'', was discovered in the Rainer papyri.
* Lost works of [[Chrysippus]]. Of over 700 written works, none survive, except a few fragments embedded in the works of later authors.
* Lost works of [[Cicero]]. Of his books, six on rhetoric have survived, and parts of seven on philosophy. Books 1–3 of his work ''[[De re publica]]'' have survived mostly intact, as well as a substantial part of book 6. A dialogue on philosophy called ''[[Hortensius (Cicero)|Hortensius]]'', which was highly influential on [[St. Augustine|Augustine of Hippo]], is lost. Part of ''[[De Natura Deorum]]'' is lost.
* Lost works of [[Cleopatra]] including books on medicine, magical charms, and [[cosmetics]] (according to the historian [[Al-Masudi]]).
* Lost works of [[Clitomachus (philosopher)|Clitomachus]]. According to [[Diogenes Laërtius]], he wrote some 400 books, of which none are extant today, although a few titles are known.
* Lost plays of [[Cratinus]]. Only fragments of his works have been preserved.
* Lost works of [[Democritus]]. He wrote extensively on [[natural philosophy]] and ethics, of which little remains.
* Lost works of [[Diogenes of Sinope]]. He is reported to have written several books, none of which has survived to the present date. Whether or not these books were actually his writings or attributions are in dispute.
* Lost works of [[Diphilus]]. He is said to have written 100 comedies, the titles of 50 of which are preserved.
* Lost works of [[Ennius]]. Only fragments of his works survive.
* Lost works of [[Enoch (ancestor of Noah)|Enoch]]. According to the [[Second Book of Enoch]], the prophet wrote 360 manuscripts.<ref>{{cite book |author=Rutherford Platt|author-link=Rutherford Platt |title=[[The Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden]] |date=1926}} Entry: [https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/fbe/fbe130.htm The Book of the Secrets of Enoch XXIII]</ref>
* Lost works of [[Empedocles]]. Little of what he wrote survives today.
* Lost plays of [[Epicharmus of Kos]]. He wrote between 35 and 52 comedies, many of which have been lost or exist only in fragments.
* Lost plays of [[Euripides]]. He is believed to have written over 90 plays, 18 of which have survived. Fragments, some substantial, of most other plays also survive.
* Lost plays of [[Eupolis]]. Of the 17 plays attributed to him, only fragments remain.
* Lost works of [[Heraclitus]]. His writings only survive in fragments quoted by other authors.
* Lost works of [[Hippasus]]. Few of his original works now survive.
* Lost works of [[Hippias]]. He is credited with an excellent work on Homer, collections of Greek and foreign literature, and archaeological treatises, but nothing remains except the barest notes.
* Lost orations of [[Hyperides]]. Some 79 speeches were transmitted in his name in antiquity. A codex of his speeches was seen at Buda in 1525 in the library of King [[Matthias Corvinus]] of [[Hungary]], but was destroyed by the [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]] in 1526. In 2002, Natalie Tchernetska of [[Trinity College, Cambridge]] discovered and identified fragments of two speeches of Hyperides that have been considered lost, ''Against Timandros'' and ''Against Diondas''. Six other orations survive in whole or part.
* Lost poems of [[Ibycus]]. According to the ''[[Suda]]'', he wrote seven books of lyrics.
* Lost plays of [[Ion of Chios]]. Variously stated to have written 12 to 40 tragedies during his lifetime with only the titles and fragments of 11 of these plays survive.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theoi.com/Text/ListTragedians.html#Ion|title=Ion of Chios|website=www.Theoi.com|access-date= August 4, 2024}}</ref>
* Lost works of [[Juba II]]. He wrote a number of books in Greek and Latin on history, natural history, geography, grammar, painting and theatre. Only fragments of his work survive.
* Lost works of [[Leucippus]]. No writings exist which we can attribute to him.
* Lost works of [[Lucius Varius Rufus]]. The author of the poem ''De morte'' and the tragedy ''Thyestes'' praised by his contemporaries as being on a par with the best Greek poets. Only fragments survive.
* Lost works of [[Melissus of Samos]]. Only fragments preserved in other writers' works exist.
* Lost plays of [[Menander]]. He wrote over a hundred comedies of which one survives. Fragments of a number of his plays survive.
* Lost poems of [[Phanocles]]. He wrote some poems about homosexual relationships among heroes of the mythical tradition of which only one survives, along with a few short fragments.
* Lost works of [[Philemon (poet)|Philemon]]. Of his 97 works, 57 are known to us only as titles and fragments.
* Lost poetry of [[Pindar]]. Of his varied books of poetry, only his victory odes survive in complete form. The rest are known only by quotations in other works or papyrus scraps unearthed in Egypt.
* Lost plays of [[Plautus]]. He wrote approximately 130 plays, of which 21 survive.
* Lost poems and orations of [[Pliny the Younger]].
* Rhetorical works of [[Julius Pollux]].
* There exists [http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/porphyry_works.htm a list] of more than 60 lost works in many genres by the philosopher [[Porphyry (philosopher)|Porphyry]], including ''Against the Christians'' (of which only fragments survive).
* Lost works of [[Posidonius]]. All of his works are now lost. Some fragments exist, as well as titles and subjects of many of his books.<ref>[http://assets.cambridge.org/052160/4419/toc/0521604419_toc.pdf]</ref>
* Lost works of [[Proclus]]. A number of his commentaries on [[Plato]] are lost.
* Lost works of [[Pyrrhus of Epirus|Pyrrhus]]. He wrote ''Memoirs'' and several books on the art of war, all now lost. According to Plutarch, Hannibal was influenced by them and they received praise from Cicero.
* Lost works of [[Pythagoras]]. No texts by him survived.
* Lost works of Pythangelus. Cited as a tragic poet in Aristophanes play [[The Frogs|''The Frogs'']] though little is known about his existence and none of his work survives.<ref>{{cite book |last=Aristophanes|date=405|title=[[The Frogs]]}}</ref>
* Lost plays of [[Rhinthon]]. Of 38 plays, only a few titles and lines have been preserved.
* Lost poems of [[Sappho]]. Only a few full poems and fragments of others survive. It has been hypothesized that poems [[Catullus 61|61]] and [[Catullus 62|62]] of [[Catullus]] were inspired by lost works of Sappho.
* Lost poems of [[Simonides of Ceos]]. Of his poetry we possess two or three short [[Elegy|elegies]], several [[Epigram|epigrams]] and about 90 fragments of lyric poetry.
* Lost plays of [[Sophocles]]. Of 123 plays, seven survive, with fragments of others.
* Lost poems of [[Sulpicia (satirist)|Sulpicia]], who wrote erotic poems of [[Marriage|conjugal]] bliss and was herself the subject of two poems by [[Martial]], who wrote (10.35) that "All girls who desire to please one man should read Sulpicia. All husbands who desire to please one wife should read Sulpicia."
* Lost poems of [[Stesichorus]]. Of several long works, significant fragments survive.
* Lost works of [[Theodectes]]. Of his 50 tragedies, we have the names of about 13 and a few unimportant fragments. His treatise on the art of rhetoric and his speeches are lost.
* Lost works of [[Theophrastus]]. Of his 227 books, only a handful survive, including ''On Plants'' and ''On Stones'', but ''On Mining'' is lost. Fragments of others survive.
* Lost plays of [[Thespis]]. None of his works survive.
* Lost works of [[Timon (philosopher)|Timon]]. None of his works survive except where he is quoted by others, mainly [[Sextus Empiricus]].
* Lost works of [[Marcus Tullius Tiro|Tiro]]. A biography of [[Cicero]] in at least four books is referenced by [[Asconius Pedianus]] in his commentaries on Cicero's speeches.<ref>Asconius Pedianus, ''In Milone'' 38</ref>
* Lost plays of [[Xenocles]]. Referenced various times in the works of [[Aristophanes]] as an inferior poet and had won first place in the Dionysia in 415 BC though none of his works survive.<ref name="auto"/>
* Lost works of [[Xenophanes]]. Fragments of his poetry survive only as quotations by later Greek writers.
* Lost works of [[Zeno of Elea]]. None of his works survive intact.
* Lost works of [[Zeno of Citium]]. None of his writings have survived except as fragmentary quotations preserved by later writers.

===Amerindian texts and codices===
* The original [[Aztec codices]] were burned by [[Tlacaelel]] after [[Itzcoatl]] took power.
* Most [[Maya codices]] were burned by [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] priests in the sixteenth century.
* Many [[Inca]] [[Quipu]]s (an ancient device used for record keeping and communication<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/snapshot/quipu|title=Quipu|website=Smithsonian.com|access-date=January 25, 2024}}</ref>) were burned by Spanish priests in 1583 on the orders of the [[Third Council of Lima]].<ref>Frank L. Salomon, 2004: The Cord Keepers. Khipus and Cultural Life in a Peruvian Village; Duke University Press; {{ISBN|0822333902}}</ref> Only 751 quipus are known to have survived to the present.

===Ancient Chinese texts===
* ''[[Classic of Music]]'' attributed to [[Confucius]].
* Medical treatise of the renowned physician [[Hua Tuo]] ([[traditional Chinese]]: 華佗; [[simplified Chinese]]: 华陀; [[pinyin]]: Huà Tuó) from late [[Eastern Han]]. The treatise was traditionally referred to as ''Qing Nang Shu'' ([[traditional Chinese]] 青囊書; [[simplified Chinese]]: 青囊书; [[pinyin]]: Qīng Náng Shū), literally ''Book in the Cyan Bag''. When Hua Tuo was sentenced to death after incurring the wrath of [[Cao Cao]], who controlled the Imperial Court, the physician tried to entrust the text to his gaoler. However, the gaoler was afraid of potentially implicating himself and in disappointment, Hua Tuo had the text burned. [https://archive.today/20070421020651/http://guoxue.baidu.com/page/c5e1d7a2c8fdb9fad6be/28.html Records of the Three Kingdoms Chapter 29, Book of Wei – Technology 《三国志卷二十九·魏书·方技传》]
* Book of Bai Ze ([[simplified Chinese]] 白泽图; [[pinyin]]: Bái Zé Tú). A guide to the forms and habits of all 11,520 types of supernatural creatures in the world, and how to overcome their hauntings and attacks, as dictated by the mythical creature, [[Bai Ze]], to the [[Yellow Emperor]] in the 26th century BCE.
* Works of the 5th century BCE philosopher [[Yang Zhu]] burned on the orders of the emperor [[Shi Huangdi]], the founder of the [[Qin dynasty]].

===Ancient Japanese texts===
* ''[[Tennōki]]''
* ''[[Kokki]]''

===Ancient Indian texts===
* ''Jaya'' and ''Bharata'', early versions of the Hindu epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''
* ''[[Bārhaspatya-sūtras]]'', the foundational text of the [[Cārvāka]] school of philosophy. The text probably dates from the final centuries BC, with only fragmentary quotations of it surviving.
* ''[[Valayapathi]]'', [[Tamil language|Tamil]] epic poem, only fragments survive.
* ''[[Kundalakesi]]'', Tamil epic poem, only fragments survive.
* ''[[Brihatkatha]]'', a collection of stories in [[Paishachi]] composed by Gunadhya between the 1st c. BC and the 3rd c. AD. Parts of it were adapted into [[Sanskrit]] and some vernaculars (see main article).

===Ancient Egyptian texts===
*The [[Book of Thoth]], a legendary manuscript alluded to in [[Ancient Egyptian literature|Egyptian literature]] believed to contain the secrets to comprehend the power of the gods and speech of animals.<ref>{{cite book |author=Miriam Lichtheim|author-link=Miriam Lichtheim |title=Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume III: The Late Period |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bMfWWvn0zX8C |year=2006 |orig-year=First Published 1978 |publisher=University of California Press |pages=125–128|isbn=9780520248441 }}</ref>
*Additionally, thousands of other pieces are attributed to the deity [[Thoth]]. [[Seleucus I Nicator|Seleuces]] noted that the number of his writings was 20,000 while [[Manetho]] held it was 36,525.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jasnow |first1=Richard Lewis |last2=Zauzich |first2=Karl-Theodor |title=The Ancient Egyptian Book of Thoth: A Demotic Discourse on Knowledge & Pendant to Classical Hermetica |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_x5Y7uKaDdEC |year=2005 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |page=2|isbn=9783447050821 }}</ref>

=== Avestan texts ===
* ''[[Avesta]]'', the holy book of [[Zoroaster]]. After Alexander's conquest, avesta was fragmented and it has been said only a third of it survived orally.
* ''Avesta'' recollected in 21 volumes, in [[Sasanian Empire|Sasanian era]], only a quarter of which survive.

===Gnostic texts===
*''The Seventh Universe of the Prophet Hieralias'', an unknown manuscript showing up by name inside the [[Gnosticism|Gnostic]] piece ''[[On the Origin of the World]]''.<ref>{{cite book|author=James M. Robinson|author-link=James M. Robinson |title=The Nag Hammadi Library |url=https://archive.org/details/TheNagHammadiLibraryPartial |date=1988 |page=[https://archive.org/details/TheNagHammadiLibraryPartial/page/n288 288]}}</ref>

===Pahlavi / Middle-Persian texts===
* ''[[Khwaday-Namag|Khwātay-Nāmag]]'' (Book of Lords) : A chronological history of Iranian kings from the mythical era to the end of Sasanian period. This book was an important reference for post-Sasanian and Islamic historians such as [[Ibn al-Muqaffa']] as well as [[Ferdowsi]] in his epic work ''[[Shahnameh]]''.
* ''Ewen-Nāmag'': Multi-volume book on Iranian ceremonies, entertainment, warfare, politics, precepts, principles and examples in the Sasanian era.
* ''Zij-i Shahryār'': An important work of astronomy.
* ''Karirak ud Damanak'': A version translated into Pahlavi of the Indian work of fiction ''[[Panchatantra|Pancatantra]]''.
* ''Hazār Afsān'' or ''Thousand Tales'': A Pahlavi compilation of Iranian and Indian tales. This work was translated to Arabic in the Islamic era and became known as ''[[One Thousand and One Nights]]''.
* ''Mazdak-Nāmag'': Biography of Mazdak, the [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] reformer and the primate of [[Mazdakism]] movement.
* ''Kārvand'': A book of rhetoric.
* ''Jāvidan Khrad'' (Immortal wisdom): Quotations of the mythical Iranian king and sage [[Hushang]].
* ''Scientific Works of [[Gondishapur Academy]]'': Works of Greek, Indian, and Persian scholars of the [[Academy of Gondishapur]] on medicine, astrology, and philosophy. A remarkable part of their heritage was translated into [[Arabic]] during the [[Graeco-Arabic translation movement]].

The Middle-Persian literature had a remarkable diversity based on historical accounts. Only a poor part of mostly religious texts survived by Zoroastrian minorities in Persia and India.

====Manichaean texts====
* ''[[Arzhang|Ardahang (Arzhang)]]'': The holy pictured book of [[Manichaeism]].
* ''[[Shabuhragan]]'': The holy book of Mani dedicated to [[Shapur I|Shapur the Great]]; only fragments survive.

===Lost Biblical texts===
{{main|Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible}}
* ''[[Hexapla]]'': a compilation of the [[Old Testament]] by [[Origen]].

====Lost texts referenced in the Old Testament====
* The book referred to at [[Book of Exodus|Exodus]] 17:14. ''Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of [[Joshua]] ...''
* The [[Mishpatim#Seventh reading — Exodus 23:26–24:18|''Book of the Covenant'']] referred to at Exodus 24:7
* The ''[[Book of the Wars of the Lord]]'' ([[Book of Numbers|Numbers]] 21:14)<ref name="auto1"/>
* ''[[Book of Jasher (biblical references)|Book of Jasher]]''
* ''[[Manner of the Kingdom]]''
* ''[[Acts of Solomon]]''
* ''[[Chronicles of the Kings of Israel]]''<ref name="auto1"/>
* ''[[Chronicles of the Kings of Judah]]''<ref name="auto1"/>
* ''[[Book of the Kings of Israel]]''
* ''[[Annals of King David]]''
* ''[[Book of Samuel the Seer]]''
* ''[[Book of Nathan the Prophet]]''
* ''[[Book of Gad the Seer]]''
* ''[[History of Nathan the Prophet]]''
* ''[[Prophecy of Ahijah]]''
* ''[[Visions of Iddo the Seer]]''
* ''[[Book of Shemaiah the Prophet]]''
* ''[[Iddo Genealogies]]''
* ''[[Story of the Prophet Iddo]]''
* ''[[Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel]]''
* ''[[Book of Jehu]]''
* ''[[Story of the Book of Kings]]''
* ''[[Acts of Uzziah]]''
* ''[[Acts of the Kings of Israel]]''
* ''[[Sayings of the Seers]]''
* ''[[Laments for Josiah]]''
* ''[[Chronicles of King Ahasuerus]]''
* ''[[Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia]]''

====Lost works referenced in Deutero-canonical texts====
*The five volume account of the [[Maccabean revolt]] compiled by [[Jason of Cyrene]], abridged by the writer of [[2 Maccabees]]<ref>{{bibleverse|2|Maccabees|2:23|NRSV}}</ref>

====Lost works referenced in the New Testament====
* ''[[Epistle to Corinth]]''
* ''[[Epistle from Laodicea to the Colossians]]''

====Lost works pertaining to Jesus====
(These works are generally 2nd century and later; some would be considered reflective of proto-orthodox Christianity, and others would be heterodox.)
* ''[[Gospel of Eve]]''
* ''[[Gospel of Mani]]''
* ''[[Gospel of Matthias]]''
* ''[[Gospel of Perfection]]''
* ''[[Gospel of the Four Heavenly Realms]]''
* ''[[Gospel of the Hebrews]]''
* ''[[Gospel of the Seventy]]''
* ''[[Gospel of the Twelve]]''
* ''[[Memoria Apostolorum]]''
* ''[[Secret Gospel of Mark]]''

===2nd century===
* [[Hegesippus (chronicler)|Hegesippus]]'s ''Hypomnemata'' (''Memoirs'') in five books, and a history of the Christian church.
* The ''[[Gospel of Marcion|Gospel of the Lord]]'' compiled by [[Marcion of Sinope]] to support his interpretation of Christianity. Marcion's writings were suppressed but a portion of them have been recreated from the works that were used to denounce them.
* [[Papias of Hierapolis|Papias]]'s ''Exposition of the Oracles of the Lord'' in five books, mentioned by [[Eusebius of Caesarea]].

===3rd century===
*Edict of [[Decius]], 250 AD
* Various works of [[Tertullian]]. Some fifteen works in Latin or Greek are lost, some as recently as the 9th century (''De Paradiso'', ''De superstitione saeculi'', ''De carne et anima'' were all extant in the now damaged [[Codex Agobardinus]] in 814 AD).

===4th century===
* ''Praeparatio Ecclesiastica'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Roger Pearse |url=http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/photius_03bibliotheca.htm#11 |title=Photius, Bibliotheca or Myriobiblion (Cod. 1–165, Tr. Freese) |publisher=Tertullian.org |date=2002-07-03 |access-date=2012-12-01}}</ref> and ''Demonstratio Ecclesiastica''<ref>{{cite web|author=Roger Pearse |url=http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/photius_03bibliotheca.htm#12 |title=Photius, Bibliotheca or Myriobiblion (Cod. 1–165, Tr. Freese) |publisher=Tertullian.org |date=2002-07-03 |access-date=2012-12-01}}</ref> by [[Eusebius of Caesarea]]
<!--
These two books are not lost. They can both be found entirely here: http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/eusebius_pe_01_book1.htm and http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/eusebius_de_03_book1.htm-->
*''History of Constantine the Great'' (known from a précis by [[Photios I of Constantinople|Photius]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Photius, Bibliotheca or Myriobiblion (Cod. 1-165, Tr. Freese) |url=http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/photius_03bibliotheca.htm#62 |access-date=2020-08-28 |website=www.tertullian.org}}</ref>) by [[Praxagoras of Athens]]
===5th century===
* [[Sozomen]]'s history of the Christian church, from the [[Ascension of Jesus]] to the defeat of [[Licinius]] in 323, in twelve books.
* [[Renatus Profuturus Frigeridus]], a historical work of twelve volumes of which only brief fragments survive, a few passages being quoted in chapters eight and nine of the second book of [[Gregory of Tours]]'s ''Decem libri historiarum'' (''Ten Books of Histories'')

==Middle Ages (500–1500)==
{{dynamic list}}

===6th century===
* [[Cassiodorus]]'s ''Gothic History'', which survives only in a much shorter abridgement, the ''[[Getica]]'' of [[Jordanes]]

===7th century===
* The ''[[Kakinomoto no Ason Hitomaro Kashū]]'' is lost as a standalone work, although an unknown portion of it was preserved as part of the later {{Lang|ja-latn|[[Man'yōshū]]}}.

=== 8th century ===
* ''[[The Life of God's Messenger]]'' by [[Ibn Ishaq]], although [[Ibn Hisham]] published a [[Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (Ibn Hisham)|further revised version of the book]], under the same title.

===Anglo-Saxon works===
* ''[[The Battle of Maldon]]'', a heroic poem of which only 325 lines in the middle survive.
* ''[[Waldere]]'', an epic which is now lost apart from two short fragments.
* The [[Finnesburg Fragment]], comprising 50 lines from an otherwise lost poem.
*[[Bede]]'s translation of [[Gospel of John|John's Gospel]], c. 735.
* ''[[Beowulf]]'': since a fire in 1731 parts of the manuscript have been lost, most notably a large section of the fight between Beowulf and the dragon towards the end of the poem. (c. 1000)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hc.edu/news-and-events/2018/08/20/plucked-out-of-the-burning-beowulf-and-salvaging-the-classics/|title=Beowulf|website=hc.edu|date=20 August 2018 }}</ref>

===12th century===
* Three works by [[Gerald of Wales]]:
** ''Vita sancti Karadoci'' ("Life of St Caradoc")
** ''De fidei fructu fideique defectu''
** ''Cambriae mappa''
* A romance on the subject of [[King Mark]] and [[Iseult]] by [[Chrétien de Troyes]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/arthur/chretien.html | title= Chrétien de Troyes | website= earlybritishkingdoms.com | access-date= July 13, 2024}}</ref> 
* The [[Old French]] [[Romance (heroic literature)|romances]] ''[[André de France]]''<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1lFt7y13ERoC |page=13 |title=The Perception of the past in twelfth-century Europe, Part 116 |author=Paul Magdalino|author-link=Paul Magdalino |isbn=978-1-85285-066-1 |year=1992|publisher=Bloomsbury }}</ref> and ''[[Gui d'Excideuil]]''<ref>{{cite web | last = de Vaqueiras | first = Raimbaut | title = Canso 14 (Ja non cujei vezer)| work = Raimbaut de Vaqueiras: Complete Works | date = | url =http://www.trobar.org/troubadours/raimbaut_de_vaqueiras/raimbaut_de_vaqueiras_14.php | access-date = 2009-09-13 }}</ref>
* ''[[Hryggjarstykki]]'', a [[Norse saga]] about almost contemporary Norwegian kings written around 1140.<ref>{{cite book | last= Sturluson | first= Snorri | date= 1200 | title=[[Heimskringla]]}}</ref> 
* ''[[Skjöldunga saga]]'', a Norse saga on the [[List of legendary kings of Denmark|legendary Danish dynasty]] of the [[Skjöldung]]s, composed c. 1180–1200<ref>{{cite web | url=https://manuscript.ku.dk/motm/skjldunga-saga/ | title= Skjöldunga Saga| date= 3 June 2016| access-date= July 13, 2024}}</ref> 
* ''[[Gauks saga Trandilssonar]]'', a lost [[Sagas of Icelanders|saga of the Icelanders]].<ref>Margaret Clunies Ross, [https://books.google.com/books?id=h-0fzWbcAM4C&dq= ''The Cambridge Introduction to the Old Norse-Icelandic Saga''], Cambridge University Press, 2010, p. 144.</ref>
*[[Life of Despot Stefan Lazarević]] is a work first written in 1166 but the only surviving chronicle is from 1431 by [[Constantine of Kostenets]] who includes a genealogy of the [[Nemanjić dynasty]] up until Despot [[Stefan Lazarević]].
* [[William of Tyre]]'s ''Gesta orientalium principum'', a history of the Islamic world<ref>Peter W. Edbury and John G. Rowe, ''William of Tyre: Historian of the Latin East'', Cambridge University Press, 1988, p. 23–24.</ref>

===13th century===

* The Quaternuli by [[David of Dinant]]. Which were condemned by a provincial council headed by [[Peter of Corbeil]] in 1210, who ordered for them to be burned for expressing [[Pantheism|pantheist]] beliefs. David may have also published another work, entitled ''De Tomis, seu Divisionibus''; this may be another title for the ''Quaternuli''.

* The literary tradition of the [[Nizari Ismailism|Nizari Ismailis]] ("[[Order of Assassins|Assassins]]"), partially destroyed during the reign of [[Hassan III of Alamut]], and eventually lost completely during the [[Mongol campaign against the Nizaris]], in particular during the burning of the Library of [[Alamut Castle]]
** ''Sargudhasht-i Bābā Sayyidinā'' ({{langx|fa|سرگذشت بابا سیدنا}}), [[Hasan-i Sabbah]]'s biography. Juvayni "saved" it before burning the library, and used it as a source in his ''[[Tarikh-i Jahangushay]]'', but he claimed that he burned it after reading it.<ref name=Willey2005>{{cite book |last1=Willey |first1=Peter |title=Eagle's Nest: Ismaili Castles in Iran and Syria |date=2005 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-85043-464-1 |pages=75–85 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RTyTn4ErwRIC |language=en}}</ref>

===14th century===
* ''[[Inventio Fortunata]]''. A 14th-century description of the geography of the [[North Pole]].<ref name="auto1"/>
* ''Itinerarium''. A geography book by [[Jacobus Cnoyen]] of [['s-Hertogenbosch]], cited by [[Gerardus Mercator]]
* ''Res gestae Arturi britanni'' (''The Deeds of Arthur of Britain''). A book cited by Jacobus Cnoyen
* ''Of the Wreched Engendrynge of Mankynde'', ''Origenes upon the Maudeleyne'', and ''The book of the Leoun''. Three works by [[Geoffrey Chaucer]].
* The [[Coventry Mystery Plays]], a cycle of which only two plays survive.
* '''Carostavnik''' or '''Rodoslov'''. [[Serbian language|Old Serbian]] biography enters a new—[[Historiography|historiographic]] or even [[Chronology|chronographic]]—phase with the appearance of the so-called ''Vita'', better yet "Lives of Serbian Kings and Archbishops" by [[Danilo II, Serbian Archbishop]], formerly Abbot of the [[Hilandar]] Monastery, and his successors, most of whom remained anonymous.
*[[Vrhobreznica Chronicle]] originates in 1371 but the work is not transcribed until two and half centuries later by a writer named Gavrilo, a [[hermit]], who collected earlier annals in his redaction composed in 1650 at the [[Monastery of the Holy Trinity of Pljevlja|Vrhobreznica monastery]]. Part of a manuscript archived as "Prague Museum #29" (together with Vrhobreznica Genealogy).
* [[Koporin]] Chronicle	– a 1371 chronicle transcribed in 1453 by Damjan, a deacon, who also wrote the annals on the order of Archbishop of Zeta, Josif, at the Koporin monastery.
* [[Studenica Monastery|Studenica]] Chronicle – a 14th century chronicle from 1350–1400. Oldest survived copy in a 16th-century manuscript, together with a younger annals.
* [[Cetinje]] Chronicle	covers events from 14th century until the end of 16th century, though the manuscript collection is from the end of the 16th century.

===15th century===
* ''[[Yongle Encyclopedia]]'' ({{zh|t=永樂大典|s=永乐大典|p=Yǒnglè Dàdiǎn|l=The Great Canon [or Vast Documents] of the Yongle Era|labels=no}}). It was one of the world's earliest, and the then-largest, encyclopaedia commissioned by the [[Yongle Emperor]] of China's [[Ming dynasty]] in 1403, completed about 1408. About 400 volumes (less than 4%) of a 16th-century manuscript set survive today.<ref>{{cite web|title= Yongle dadian|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/654973/Yongle-dadian|website=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|access-date=23 October 2014}}</ref>
* [[François Villon]]'s poem "The Romance of the Devil's Fart."

==Modern age (1500–present)== 
{{dynamic list}}

===16th century===
* ''Nigramansir. A Moral Interlude and a Pithy.'' by [[John Skelton (poet)|John Skelton]]. Printed 1504. A copy seen in 1759 in [[Chichester]] has since vanished.
* ''[[Ur-Hamlet]]''. An earlier version of the [[William Shakespeare]] play ''[[Hamlet]]''. Some scholars believe it to be a lost work written by [[Thomas Kyd]], while others attribute it to Shakespeare, identifying the Ur-Hamlet with the [[Hamlet Q1|first quarto text]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostplays.folger.edu/Hamlet|title=Ur-Hamlet|website=Folger.edu|access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref>
* ''[[Love's Labour's Won]]'', play by [[William Shakespeare]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostplays.folger.edu/Love's_Labour's_Won|title=Love Labour's Won|website=Folger.edu|access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref>
* ''The Ocean’s Love to [[Elizabeth I of England|Cynthia]]''. A poem by Sir [[Walter Raleigh]] of which only fragments are known.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.luminarium.org/renlit/oceanintro.htm#:~:text=%22The%20Ocean's%20Love%20to%20Cynthia,Queen%20Elizabeth%20I%20as%20Cynthia.&text=Ralegh%20never%20published%20it%2C%20and,nearly%2015%2C000%20lines%20of%20verse.|title=The Ocean's Love To Cynthia|website=Luminarium.org|access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Luís de Camões]]'s philosophical work ''The Parnasum of Luís Vaz'' is lost.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bookshop.org/contributors/luis-vaz-de-camoes-8876c468-5510-490d-8515-c010bfaa7de1|title=The Parnasum of Luís Vaz|website=bookshop.org|access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>
* ''[[The Isle of Dogs (play)|The Isle of Dogs]]'' (1597), a play by [[Thomas Nashe]] and [[Ben Jonson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostplays.folger.edu/Isle_of_Dogs,_The|title=The Isle of Dogs|website=Folger.edu|access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>
* ''[[Phaethon]]'', a play by [[Thomas Dekker (writer)|Thomas Dekker]], mentioned in [[Philip Henslowe]]'s diary, 1597.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostplays.folger.edu/Phaeton|title=Phaeton|website=Folger.edu|access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>
* ''[[Hot Anger Soon Cold]]'' a play by [[Henry Chettle]], [[Henry Porter (playwright)|Henry Porter]] and [[Ben Jonson]]; mentioned in Henslowe's diary, August 1598.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostplays.folger.edu/Hot_Anger_Soon_Cold|title=Hot Anger Soon Cold|website=Folger.edu|access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>
* ''[[The Stepmother's Tragedy]]'', a play by [[Henry Chettle]] and [[Thomas Dekker (poet)|Thomas Dekker]]; mentioned in Henslowe's diary, August 1599.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostplays.folger.edu/Stepmother%27s_Tragedy,_The|title=The Stepmother's Tragedy|website=Folger.edu|access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>
* ''Black Bateman of the North, Part II'', a play by [[Henry Chettle]] and [[Robert Wilson (dramatist)|Robert Wilson]]; mentioned in Henslowe's diary in April 1598.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostplays.folger.edu/Black_Bateman_of_the_North,_Parts_1_and_2#Possible_Narrative_and_Dramatic_Sources_or_Analogues|title=Black Bateman|website=Folger.edu|access-date=December 24, 2023}}</ref>
* Only four [[Maya codices]] survived the [[Spanish conquest of the Maya|Spanish conquest]]; most were destroyed by [[conquistador]]s, the [[Roman Catholic Church]] or the [[Aztecs]].

===17th century===
* ''[[The History of Cardenio]]'', play by [[William Shakespeare]] and [[John Fletcher (playwright)|John Fletcher]] (1613)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-18010384.amp|title=History of Cardenio|website=bbc.com|date=9 May 2012 |access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>
* ''[[Keep the Widow Waking]]'', play by [[John Ford (dramatist)|John Ford]] and [[John Webster]] (1624)
* [[Claudio Monteverdi]] composed at least eighteen [[Opera|operas]], but only three (''L'Orfeo'', ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'', and ''Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria'') and the famous [[aria]], "Lamento", from his second opera ''L'Arianna'' have survived.
* Lost [[haiku]] of [[Ihara Saikaku]].
* [[Jean Racine]]'s first play, ''Amasie'' (1660) is lost. In addition, his biography of [[Louis XIV]], ''Vie de Louis XIV'', was destroyed in the fire at [[Jean-Baptiste-Henri de Valincour|Valincour]]'s house.
* [[John Milton]] wrote nearly two acts of a tragedy called ''Adam Unparadiz'd,'' which was then lost.<ref>{{cite news|last=Asimov |first=Eric |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/26/features/BLUME.php |title=The New York Times – Breaking News, World News & Multimedia |newspaper=International Herald Tribune |access-date=2012-12-01}}</ref>
* Lost works of [[Molière]]:
** A translation of ''[[On the Nature of Things|De Rerum Natura]]'' by [[Lucretius]].
** ''Le Docteur amoureux'' (play, 1658)
** ''Gros-René, petit enfant'' (play, 1659)
** ''Le Docteur Pédant'' (play, 1660)
** ''Les Trois Docteurs'' (play, ca. 1660)
** ''Gorgibus dans le sac'' (play, 1661)
** ''Le Fagotier'' (play, 1661)
** ''Le Fin Lourdaut'' (play attributed, 1668)
* Lost works of [[Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh]] include;
** ''Ughdair Ereann''. Fragments survive
* Works by [[Buhurizade Mustafa Itri]], a major [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] musician, composer, singer and poet, who is known to have composed more than a thousand works, only forty of which survive to the present.
* ''Olympica'', [[René Descartes]]'s youthful account of dreams and their interpretations, was last excerpted by [[Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz|Leibniz]] in 1675.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40969369|title=René Descartes' Olympica|website=JSTOR|jstor=40969369 |access-date=January 15, 2023}}</ref> ''L'Art de l'escrime'' by Descartes, a book about fencing, was also lost.
* ''De non existentia Dei'' by [[Kazimierz Łyszczyński]], an atheist philosophical treatise, destroyed after the trial and execution of Łyszczyński (1689). Fragments survived in court records.<ref>* [[Andrzej Nowicki (philosopher)|A. Nowicki]], ''Pięć fragmentów z dzieła "De non-existentia dei" Kazimierza Łyszczyńskiego'' (by a script fromLibrary of Kórnik nr 443), "Euhemer", nr 1, 1957, pp.&nbsp;72–81.</ref>

===18th century===
* All poems and literary works by [[Carlo Gimach]], except for the [[cantata]] ''Applauso Genetliaco'', are believed to be lost.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ellul |first1=Michael |title=Carlo Gimach (1651–1730) – Architect and Poet |journal=Proceedings of History Week |date=1986 |pages=37–38 |url=http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/Proceedings%20of%20History%20Week/PHW%201986/02s.pdf |publisher=Historical Society of Malta |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804132629/http://melitensiawth.com/incoming/Index/Proceedings%20of%20History%20Week/PHW%201986/02s.pdf |archive-date=4 August 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Lady Mary Wortley Montagu]]'s journal was burned by her daughter on the grounds that it contained too much scandal and [[satire]].
* [[Edward Gibbon]] burned the manuscript of his ''History of the Liberty of the Swiss''.
* [[Adam Smith]] had most of his manuscripts destroyed shortly before his death. In his last years he had been working on two major treatises, one on the theory and history of [[law]] and one on the sciences and arts. The posthumously published ''[[Essays on Philosophical Subjects]]'' (1795) probably contain parts of what would have been the latter treatise.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/biographies/adam-smith/|title=Biography of Adam Smith (1723–1790)|work=rug.nl}}</ref>
* ''The Green-Room Squabble or a Battle Royal between the Queen of Babylon and the Daughter of Darius'', a 1756 play by [[Samuel Foote]], is lost.
* Numerous works by [[J. S. Bach]], notably at least two large-scale [[Passions (Bach)|Passions]] and many cantatas (see [[List of Bach cantatas]]) are lost.
* [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s Cello Concerto in F and [[Trumpet Concerto (Mozart)|Trumpet Concerto]] are lost.
* [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven's]] 1793 'Ode to Joy', which was later incorporated into [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|his ninth Symphony]]
* [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn's]] "Double Bass Concerto", of which only the first two [[Bar (music)|measures]] survive; the rest were burned and destroyed. Supposedly a copy of it may exist somewhere, according to many different speculations.
* Personal letters between [[George Washington]] and his wife [[Martha Washington]]; all but three destroyed by Mrs. Washington after his death in 1799.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/03-01-02-0003|title=Lost Letters of George Washington|website=Archives.gov|access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref>
* [[Georg Philipp Telemann]]: his all-encompassing oeuvre comprises more than 3,000 compositions, half of which have been lost.

===19th century===
* ''[[Jefferson Bible|The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth]]'' by [[Thomas Jefferson]], a compilation of the teachings of Jesus extracted from a copy of the [[King James Bible]] and bound in 1804; no copies are known to survive since the book was lost in 1858.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tay|first1=Endrina|title=The Philosophy of Jesus of Nazareth|url=https://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/philosophy-jesus-nazareth|website=Monticello.org|access-date=July 20, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Aaron Burr]]'s farewell address to the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] in 1805 has been lost, though the general outlines are known through contemporaneous comments. Most of Burr's letters and papers from prior to 1812 were subsequently lost in a shipwreck which resulted in Burr being one of the least understood of the "[[Founding Fathers of the United States]]", especially given that his, in general, morally upstanding life is often overshadowed by his infamous duel with fellow Founding Father [[Alexander Hamilton]], who was the less popular, and less liked, of the two.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Aaron burr's farewell address |author=Gordon L. Thomas |journal=Quarterly Journal of Speech |volume=39 |year=1953 |issue= 3 |pages=273–282 |doi=10.1080/00335635309381878}} "Except for some of his court-room speeches [...] no verbatim reports of his speeches are extant."</ref> 
* The ''[[Byron's Memoirs|Memoirs]]'' of [[Lord Byron]], destroyed by his literary [[Executor|executors]] led by [[John Murray (publishing house)|John Murray]] on 17 May 1824. The decision to destroy Byron's manuscript journals, which was opposed only by [[Thomas Moore]], was made in order to protect his reputation. The two volumes of memoirs were dismembered and burned in the fireplace at Murray's office.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1959/08/the-burning-of-byrons-memoirs/640299/|title=Byron's Lost Memoirs|website=theatlantic.com|date=August 1959 |access-date=August 22, 2023 |last1=Moore |first1=Doris Langley }}</ref>
* ''The Scented Garden'' by Sir [[Richard Francis Burton]], a manuscript of a new translation from Arabic of ''[[The Perfumed Garden]]'', was burned by his widow, Lady Isabel Burton ''née'' Arundel, along with other papers.
* A large number of manuscripts and longer poems by [[William Blake]] were burned soon after his death by [[Frederick Tatham]].
* Parts two and three of ''[[Dead Souls]]'' by [[Nikolai Gogol]], burned by Gogol at the instigation of the priest Father Matthew Konstantinovskii.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostmanuscripts.com/2018/07/25/dead-souls/|title=Dead Souls Pt. II & III|website=Lostmanuscripts.com|date=25 July 2018 |access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref>
* At least four complete volumes and around seven pages of text are missing from [[Lewis Carroll]]'s thirteen diaries, destroyed by his family for reasons frequently debated.
* The son of the [[Marquis de Sade]] had all of de Sade's unpublished manuscripts burned after de Sade's death in 1814; this included the immense multi-volume work ''Les Journées de Florbelle''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostmanuscripts.com/tag/marquis-de-sade/|title=The Lost Manuscripts of Marquis De Sade|website=Lostmanuscripts.com|date=13 July 2021 |access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref>
* A large section of the manuscript for [[Mary Shelley]]'s ''Lodore'' was lost in the mail to the publisher, and Shelley was forced to rewrite it.
* [[Gerard Manley Hopkins]] burned all his early poetry on entering the priesthood.
* In the ''[[Suspiria de Profundis]]'' of [[Thomas De Quincey]], 18 of 32 pieces have not survived.
* [[Alexander Ivanovich Galich]]'s completed manuscripts ''Universal Rights'' and ''Philosophy of Human History'' were destroyed in a fire, an event the grieved Galich did not long survive.
* [[Margaret Fuller]]'s manuscript on the history of the [[Roman Republic (19th century)|1849 Roman Republic]] was lost in the 1850 shipwreck in which Fuller herself, her husband and her child perished. In Fuller's own estimation, as well as of others who saw it, this work, based on her first-hand experience in Rome, might have been her most important work. 
* A schoolmate of [[Arthur Rimbaud]] claimed that he lost a notebook of poems Rimbaud had written, dubbed the "Cahier Labarrière", which reportedly contained about 60 poems. If this were true, and if all were distinct from Rimbaud's known verse poems, these lost poems would equal the extant works in volume.<ref>''Arthur Rimbaud - Œuvre-vie'', Alain Borer, Arléa / Le Seuil, 1991, p. 169.</ref> [[Paul Verlaine]] also mentioned a text called "''[[The Spiritual Hunt|La Chasse spirituelle]]''", claiming it to be Rimbaud's masterpiece. It was also never found; a [[Literary forgery|forgery]] was published in 1949.
* The first draft of [[Thomas Carlyle]]'s ''[[The French Revolution: A History]]'' was sent to [[John Stuart Mill]], whose maid mistakenly burned it, forcing Carlyle to rewrite it from scratch.
* [[Joseph Smith]]'s [[Lost 116 pages|Book of Lehi]] from the [[Mormon]] [[Golden Plates]] was either hidden, destroyed, or modified by Lucy Harris, the wife of transcriber [[Martin Harris (Latter Day Saints)|Martin Harris]]. Whatever their fate, the pages were not returned to Joseph Smith and were declared "lost." Smith did not recreate the translation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/lost-manuscript-of-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng|title=Lost 116 Pages of the Book of Mormon|website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org|access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref>
* ''[[Isle of the Cross]]'', [[Herman Melville]]'s follow-up to the unsuccessful ''[[Pierre: or, The Ambiguities|Pierre]]'' was rejected by his publishers and has subsequently been lost.<ref name="auto1"/>
* [[Robert Louis Stevenson]] burned his first completed draft of ''[[Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde]]'' after his wife criticized the work. Stevenson wrote and published a revised version.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-mysterious-burning-of-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde|title=Burnt First Draft of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde|website=www.thedailybeast.com|date=10 March 2018 |access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>
* [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s [[Lost Speech]], given on May 29, 1856, in [[Bloomington, Illinois]]. Traditionally regarded as lost because it was so engaging that reporters neglected to take notes, the speech is believed to have been an impassioned condemnation of [[slavery]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://rogerjnorton.com/Lincoln63.html|title=Lincoln's Lost Speech|website=rogerjnorton.com|access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref>
* [[L. Frank Baum]]'s theatre in [[Richburg, New York]], burned to the ground. Among the manuscripts of Baum's original plays known to have been lost are ''The Mackrummins'', ''Matches'' (which was being performed the night of the fire), ''The Queen of Killarney'', ''Kilmourne, or O'Connor's Dream'', and the complete musical score for ''[[The Maid of Arran]]'', which survives only in commercial [[Sheet music|song sheets]], which include six of the eight songs and no instrumental music.
* [[Leon Trotsky]] describes the loss of an unfinished play manuscript (a collaboration with Sokolovsky) in his ''My Life'', end of chapter 6 (sometime between 1896 and 1898).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/1930-lif/ch06.htm |title=Leon Trotsky: My Life (6. The Break) |publisher=Marxists.org |date=2007-02-06 |access-date=2012-12-01}}</ref>
* ''[[The Poor Man and the Lady]]''. [[Thomas Hardy]]'s first novel (1867) was never published. After rejection by several publishers, he destroyed the manuscript.<ref name="auto1"/>
* [[George Gissing]] abandoned many novels and destroyed the incomplete manuscripts. He also completed at least three novels which went unpublished and have been lost.<ref>Paul Delany, ''George Gissing: A Life'' (2008).</ref>
* During the many years of his career, [[Mark Twain]] produced a vast number of pieces, of which a considerable part, especially in his earlier years, was published in obscure newspapers under a great variety of pen names, or not published at all. Joe Goodman, who had been Twain's editor when he worked at the [[Virginia City, Nevada]], "Territorial Enterprise", declared in 1900 that Twain wrote some of the best material of his life during his "Western years" in the late 1860s, but most of it was lost.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Powers |first=Ron |date=May 2010 |title=Mark Twain in Love |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/mark-twain-in-love-14530235/#W79oP0rdCxmm3x6O.99 |website=[[Smithsonian Magazine]]}}</ref> In addition, many of Twain's speeches and lectures have been lost or were never written down. Researchers continue to seek this material, some of which was rediscovered as recently as 1995.{{Citation needed|date=September 2023}}
* Although frequently referenced in the [[Oxford English Dictionary]] and traceable in several catalogues of libraries and booksellers, no copy of the 1852 book ''[[Meanderings of Memory]]'' by Nightlark could be tracked down.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/may/10/oxford-english-dictionary-meanderings-memory|title=Meanderings of Memory|website=theguardian.com|date=10 May 2013 |access-date=August 22, 2023 |last1=Flood |first1=Alison }}</ref>
* The Reverend [[Francis Kilvert]]'s diaries were edited and censored, possibly by his widow, after his death in 1879. In the 1930s, the surviving diaries were passed on to [[William Plomer]], who transcribed them, before returning the originals to Kilvert's closest living relative, a niece, who destroyed most of the manuscripts. Plomer's own transcription was destroyed in the [[The Blitz|Blitz]]. He only learned of the originals' destruction when he planned to publish a complete edition in the 1950s.
* [[Jean Sibelius]]'s ''Karelia Music'' was destroyed after its premiere in 1893. What survives today fully are the Karelia Overture and the [[Karelia Suite]]. Most of the music was reconstructed in 1965 by Kalevi Kuosa, from the original parts that had survived. The parts that hadn't survived were those of the [[Viola|violas]], [[Cello|cellos]], and [[Double bass|double basses]]. Based on Kuosa's transcription, the [[Finland|Finnish]] composers [[Kalevi Aho]] and [[Jouni Kaipainen]] have individually reconstructed the complete music to Karelia Music.
* The musical score to [[Gilbert and Sullivan]]’s 1871 opera [[Thespis (opera)|Thespis]] has been mostly lost with only 3 musical passages being known to survive.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gsarchive.net/thespis/html/|title=Gilbert & Sullivan's Lost Opera|website=gsarchive.net|access-date=January 13, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Nathaniel Hawthorne]]'s ''Seven Tales of my Native Land'' was personally destroyed after being rejected by publishers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://authorscalendar.info/hawthorn.htm|title=Nathaniel Hawthorne's Seven Tales of my Native Land|website=authorscalendar.info|access-date=January 15, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Richard Wagner]] [[List of compositions by Richard Wagner|many of his early works have been lost.]]
* [[Henri Duparc (composer)|Henri Duparc]] After 1890, his creative ability declined, and he destroyed his works, manuscripts, and correspondence. He died in 1933 at the age of 85.

===20th century===
* [[James Joyce]]'s play ''A Brilliant Career'' (which he burned) and the first half of his novel ''[[Stephen Hero]]''. His grandson [[Stephen James Joyce|Stephen]] later burned [[Nora Barnacle]]'s letters to James as well.
* [[J. Meade Falkner]] left an almost complete fourth and last novel on a train and felt he was too old to start again.
* A number of [[Scott Joplin]]'s compositions have been lost, including his first opera, ''[[A Guest of Honor (opera)|A Guest of Honor]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://operawire.com/opera-wiki-scott-joplins-a-guest-of-honor/|title=A Guest of Honor|website=operawire.com|date=25 January 2023 |access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref>
* [[John P. Marquand]] wrote an early novel called ''Yellow Ivory'' in collaboration with his friend W. A. Macdonald.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0Q4eAAAAMAAJ&q=%22yellow+ivory%22 |title=Writers and writing – Robert Van Gelder – Google Boeken |access-date=2012-12-01|last1=Gelder |first1=Robert Van |year=1946 }}</ref>
* Various parts of [[Daniel Paul Schreber]]'s ''"Memoirs of My Nervous Illness"'' (original German title ''"Denkwürdigkeiten eines Nervenkranken"'') (1903) were destroyed by his wife and a Doctor Flesching for protecting his reputation, which was mentioned by [[Sigmund Freud]] as highly important in his essay ''"The Schreber Case"'' (1911).
* [[L. Frank Baum]] wrote four novels for adults that were never published and disappeared: ''Our Married Life'' and ''Johnson'' (1912), ''The Mystery of Bonita'' (1914), and ''Molly Oodle'' (1915). Baum's son claimed that Baum's wife burned these, but this was after being cut out of her [[Will and testament|will]]. Evidence that Baum's publisher received these manuscripts survives. Also lost are Baum's 1904 short stories "Mr. Rumple's Chill" and "Bess of the Movies", as well as his early plays ''Kilmourne, or O'Connor's Dream'' (opened April 4, 1883) and ''The Queen of [[Killarney]]'' (1883).
* In 1907, [[August Strindberg]] destroyed a play, ''The Bleeding Hand'', immediately after writing it. He was in a bad mood at the time and commented in a letter that the piece was unusually harsh, even for him.
* "Text I" of ''[[Seven Pillars of Wisdom]]'', a 250,000-word manuscript by [[T. E. Lawrence]] lost at [[Reading railway station]] in December 1919.
* In 1922, a suitcase with almost all of [[Ernest Hemingway]]'s work to date was stolen from a train compartment at the [[Paris-Gare de Lyon|Gare de Lyon]] in Paris, from his current wife. It included a partial [[World War I]] novel.<ref name="auto1"/>
* The novels ''Tobold'' and ''Theodor'' by [[Robert Walser (writer)|Robert Walser]] are lost, possibly destroyed by the author, as is a third, unnamed novel. (1910–1921)
* [[Jean Sibelius]] burned his unfinished 8th Symphony and several of his unfinished works in the 1920s.
* The original version of ''Ultramarine'' by [[Malcolm Lowry]] was stolen from his publisher's car in 1932, and the author had to reconstruct it.
* [[Franz Kafka]]'s last lover, [[Dora Diamant]], ignored his wishes to have his works destroyed posthumously. Instead she kept some 20 notebooks and 35–36 letters. The [[Gestapo]] in 1933 seized all papers in her home, including these notebooks and letters, in their search to find [[Communism|communist]] propaganda. Only three of these letters have been discovered since. Furthermore, when [[Max Brod]], Kafka's literary executor who similarly ignored his wishes, died in 1968, he left Kafka's papers to his secretary, who left them to her daughters. The papers then passed into the ownership of the [[National Library of Israel]] in 2016. After a lengthy legal dispute between the library and the daughters, many of these papers have yet to be published. 
* [[Paramahansa Yogananda|Paramahansa Yogananda's]] ''Autobiography of a Yogi'' quotes extensively from his student's C. Richard Wright's travel diaries in 1935/6.  Following Wright's death they became lost.
* In 1938 [[George Orwell]] wrote ''Socialism and War'', an "anti-war pamphlet" for which he could not find a publisher. Although many previously unknown letters and other documents relating to Orwell have been discovered in recent years, no trace of this pamphlet has yet come to light. With the beginning of [[World War II]] Orwell's views on [[pacifism]] were to change radically, so he may well have destroyed the manuscript.
* Lost papers and a possible unfinished novel by [[Isaac Babel]], confiscated by the [[NKVD]], May 1939.<ref>{{cite web | title=Critic's Notebook; Isaac Babel May Yet Have The Last Word | website=The New York Times | date=July 11, 2001 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/11/books/critic-s-notebook-isaac-babel-may-yet-have-the-last-word.html | access-date=August 14, 2022}}</ref>
* Manuscript of ''[[Efebos]]'', a novel by [[Karol Szymanowski]], destroyed in bombing of Warsaw, 1939.<!-- ?date -->
* Five volumes of poetry and a drama, all in manuscript, by "[[Saint-John Perse]]"—actually the [[pseudonym]] of French [[diplomat]] Alexis Léger—were destroyed at his house outside Paris in the summer of 1940. Perse was a well-known and uncompromising anti-Nazi and his house was raided by German troops. The works had been written during his diplomat years, but "Perse" had decided not to publish any new writing until he had retired from diplomacy. The real Léger went into exile following the [[Battle of France|Fall of France]]. 
* [[Walter Benjamin]] had a completed manuscript in his suitcase when was arrested by the [[Nazism|Nazis]] while attempting to flee France for neutral [[Spain]] in the summer of 1940. Benjamin committed suicide in the [[Pyrenees]] village [[Portbou]], Spain on September 26, 1940, and the suitcase and its contents disappeared.
* There are reports that [[Bruno Schulz]] worked on a novel called ''The Messiah'', but no trace of this manuscript survived his death (1942).
* The diary of [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]] victim [[Margot Frank]], [[Anne Frank]]'s older sister, was never found (1944). Of [[The Diary of Anne Frank]], the original volume or volumes covering the period between December 1942 and December 1943 was never found, and assumed to have been taken by the Nazis who raided the hiding place. This period is only known from the version Anne rewrote for preservation, which is known to have been in many ways different from her original.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.annefrank.org/en/anne-frank/main-characters/margot-frank/|title=Margot Frank's Diary|website=www.annefrank.org|access-date=August 22, 2023}}</ref>
* The novel ''[[In Ballast to the White Sea]]'' by [[Malcolm Lowry]], lost in a fire in 1945.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lostmanuscripts.com/2012/02/29/the-real-lowry-lost-manuscript/|title=The real Lowry lost manuscript|date=29 February 2012}}</ref>
* The novel ''Wanderers of Night'' and poems of [[Daniil Andreev]] were destroyed in 1947 as "anti-Soviet literature" by the [[Ministry for State Security (USSR)|MGB]].
* Some pages of [[William Burroughs]]'s original version of ''[[Naked Lunch]]'' were stolen.
* Three early, unpublished novels by [[Philip K. Dick]] written in the 1950s are no longer extant: ''[[A Time for George Stavros]]'', ''[[Pilgrim on the Hill]]'', and ''[[Nicholas and the Higs]]''.
* In 1958, while working on the last chapter, [[William H. Gass]]'s novel ''[[Omensetter's Luck]]'' was stolen off of his desk, forcing him to begin from scratch.
* The manuscript for [[Sylvia Plath]]'s unfinished second novel, provisionally titled ''Double Exposure'', or ''Double Take'', written 1962–63, disappeared some time before 1970.<ref name="auto1"/>
* [[Venedikt Yerofeyev]]'s novel ''[[Dmitry Shostakovich]]'' was in a bag with two bottles of [[fortified wine]] that was stolen from him in a [[commuter train]] in 1972.
* Several pages of the original screenplay for [[Werner Herzog]]'s ''[[Aguirre, the Wrath of God|Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes]]'' were reportedly thrown out of the window of a bus after one of his [[Association football|football]] teammates vomited on them.
* The screenplay for the proposed [[Dean Stockwell]]–Herb Berman film ''After the Gold Rush'' is reportedly lost.
* ''Diaries'' of [[Philip Larkin]] – burned at his request after his death on 2 December 1985. Other private papers were kept, contrary to his instructions.
* The fourth novel of [[Sasha Sokolov]] have been lost when the [[Greece|Greek]] house where it was written burned down in the second half the 1980s.
* [[Jacob M. Appel]]'s first novel manuscript, ''Paste and Cover'', was in the trunk of an automobile that was stolen in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], in 1998. The vehicle was recovered, but the manuscript was not.<ref>Appel, JM. ''Phoning Home'', University of South Carolina Press, 2014{{Page needed|date=September 2024}}</ref>

===21st century===
* [[Terry Pratchett]]'s unfinished works were destroyed in 2017 after his death, fulfilling his last will; his computer [[hard drive]] containing his unfinished works was deliberately crushed by a [[steamroller]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Daley |first1=Jason |title=Terry Pratchett's Unfinished Novels Got Steamrolled |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/terry-pratchetts-unfinished-novels-got-steamrolled-180964691/ |website=Smithsonian Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/aug/30/terry-pratchett-unfinished-novels-destroyed-streamroller |title=Terry Pratchett's unfinished novels destroyed by steamroller |last=Convery |first=Stephanie |date=30 August 2017 |work=The Guardian |access-date=30 August 2017|language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Terry Pratchett's unpublished works crushed by steamroller |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-41093066 |work=BBC News |date=30 August 2017 |access-date=30 August 2017}}</ref>

==Lost literary collections==
{{further| Book burning| List of destroyed libraries}}
{{dynamic list}}

* Chinese emperor [[Qin Shi Huang]] (3rd century BCE) had most previously existing books burned when he consolidated his power. See [[Burning of books and burying of scholars]].
* The [[Library of Alexandria]], the largest library in existence during antiquity, was destroyed at some point in time between the Roman and Muslim conquests of Alexandria.
* Aztec emperor [[Itzcoatl]] (ruled 1427/8–1440) ordered the burning of all historical [[Aztec codices]] in an effort to develop a state-sanctioned Aztec history and mythology.
* During the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]], many monastic libraries were destroyed. [[Worcester Cathedral|Worcester Abbey]] had 600 books at the time of the dissolution. Only six of them have survived intact to the present day. At the [[abbey]] of the [[Order of Saint Augustine|Augustinian Friars]] at [[York]], a library of 646 volumes was destroyed, leaving only three surviving books. Some books were destroyed for their precious bindings, others were sold off by the cartload, including irreplaceable early English works. It is believed that many of the earliest [[Anglo-Saxon language|Anglo-Saxon]] manuscripts were lost at this time.
:: "A great nombre of them whych purchased those supertycyous mansyons, resrved of those lybrarye bokes, some to serve theyr jakes [i.e., as [[toilet paper]]], some to scoure candelstyckes, and some to rubbe their bootes. Some they solde to the grossers and soapsellers&nbsp;..." — [[John Bale]], 1549
* Many works of [[Anglo-Saxon literature]], mostly unique and unpublished, were burned when a fire broke out in the [[Cotton library]] at [[Ashburnham House]] on 23 October 1731. However, the only surviving manuscript of ''[[Beowulf]]'' survived the fire and was printed for the first time in 1815.
* In 1193, the [[Nalanda]] University was sacked by<ref>{{cite book |last=Allen |first=Charles |author-link=Charles Allen (writer) |date=2002 |title=The Buddha and the Sahibs |publisher=John Murray |location=London }}</ref> [[Bakhtiyar Khilji]].<ref name = Scott>{{cite journal| last = Scott| first = David| title = Buddhism and Islam: Past to Present Encounters and Interfaith Lessons| journal = Numen| volume = 42| issue = 2|date=May 1995| pages = 141–155| doi = 10.1163/1568527952598657 |jstor=3270172}}
</ref> The burning of the library continued for several months and "smoke from the burning manuscripts hung for days like a dark pall over the low hills."<ref>{{cite book |author=Gertrude Emerson Sen |date=1964 |title=The Story of Early Indian Civilization  |publisher=Orient Longmans}}</ref>
* The [[Siege of Baghdad (1258)|sacking of Baghdad]] by the Mongols.
* At least 27 [[Maya codices]] were ceremonially destroyed by [[Diego de Landa]] (1524–1579), bishop of [[Yucatán (state)|Yucatán]], on 12 July 1562.
* The library of the [[Hanlin Academy]], containing irreplaceable ancient Chinese manuscripts, was mostly destroyed in 1900 during the [[Boxer Rebellion]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla62/62-davd.htm |title=Destruction Of Chinese Books In The Peking Siege Of 1900 – 62nd IFLA General Conference |publisher=Ifla.org |access-date=2012-12-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919024848/http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla62/62-davd.htm |archive-date=2008-09-19 }}</ref>
* The [[Sikh Reference Library]] in [[Amritsar]], a collection of rare books, newspapers, manuscripts, and other literary works related to [[Sikhism]] and India, was looted and incinerated by Indian troops during the 1984 [[Operation Blue Star]]. The missing literature has not been recovered to this day and is presumed to be lost.<ref name="ensaaf_twenty_2006">{{cite book |last1=Kaur |first1=Jaskaran |url=http://ensaaf-org.jklaw.net/publications/reports/20years/20years-2nd.pdf |title=Twenty years of impunity: the November 1984 pogroms of Sikhs in India |last2=Crossette |first2=Barbara |publisher=Ensaaf |year=2006 |isbn=0-9787073-0-3 |edition=2nd |location=Portland, OR |page=16}}</ref><ref name="tribune_fire_2003">{{cite news |last=Walia |first=Varinder |date=7 June 2003 |title=Fire of controversy in Sikh library still smoulders |work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030607/windows/note.htm |accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="express_2009_george">{{cite news |date=25 May 2000 |title=George Fernandes admits Army removed items from Golden Temple during Operation B |publisher=Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. |location=Bombay |url=http://www.expressindia.com/ie/daily/20000525/ina25042.html |accessdate=21 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="dna_missing_2009">{{cite news |last=Bharadwaj |first=Ajay |date=27 Feb 2009 |title=SGPC, Centre spar over Golden Temple's missing manuscripts - India - DNA |work=[[Daily News and Analysis]] |location=Chandigarh |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/special_sgpc-centre-spar-over-golden-temples-missing-manuscripts_1234589 |accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref><ref name="tribune_antony_2009">{{cite news |last=Walia |first=Varinder |date=21 May 2009 |title=No Sikh reference books with us: Antony |work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] |publisher=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]] |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090522/punjab.htm#1 |accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref><ref>Kaur, Jaskaran; Crossette, Barbara (2006).|url=http://ensaaf-org.jklaw.net/publications/reports/20years/20years-2nd.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119015130/http://ensaaf-org.jklaw.net/publications/reports/20years/20years-2nd.pdf |date=2012-01-19 }}</ref> The library hosted a vast collection of an estimated 20,000 literary works just before the destruction, including 11,107 books, 2,500 manuscripts, newspaper archives, historical letters, documents/files, and others.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brar |first=Kamaldeep Singh |date=20 June 2019 |title=Explained: The mystery of missing articles of Sikh Reference Library |work=The Indian Express |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/the-mystery-of-missing-articles-of-sikh-reference-library-5789595/ |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225164840/https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/the-mystery-of-missing-articles-of-sikh-reference-library-5789595/ |archive-date=25 December 2020}}</ref>
* During the [[2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina]], sections of the National Archives in [[Sarajevo]] were set on fire. Large numbers of historical documents were lost, many of them dating from the 1878–1918 [[Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina]], the interwar period, and the 1941–1945 rule of the [[Independent State of Croatia]]. About 15,000 files from the 1996–2003 [[Human Rights Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina]] were also destroyed.

==Rediscovered works==
* ''[[The 120 Days of Sodom]]'', written by the [[Marquis de Sade]] in the [[Bastille]] prison in 1785, was considered lost by its author (and was much lamented by him) after the [[Storming of the Bastille|storming and looting of 1789]]. It was rediscovered in the walls of his cell and published in 1904.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/18/120-days-de-sodom-made-national-treasure-by-french-government|title=120 Days of Sodom|website=theguardian.com|date=18 December 2017 |access-date=August 22, 2023 |last1=France-Presse |first1=Agence }}</ref>
* ''Lesbian Love'', by [[Eva Kotchever]], had only 150 copies published "for private circulation only" in 1925. Historian [[Jonathan Ned Katz]] searched and found the only known copy, owned by Nina Alvarez, who had found the book in the lobby of her apartment building in 1998 in Albany, New York. Records show that another copy was held in the [[Sterling Memorial Library]] at [[Yale University]], but it has not been located.<ref>{{Cite magazine|title=Rediscovering Eve Adams, the Radical Lesbian Activist|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/rediscovering-eve-adams-the-radical-lesbian-activist|access-date=2021-06-30|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-US}}</ref>
* The [[Gospel of Judas]], a fragmentary [[Coptic language|Coptic]] [[codex]] rediscovered and translated, 2006.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/06/science/06cnd-judas.html|title='Gospel of Judas' Surfaces After 1,700 Years|last=Wilford|first=John Noble|author2=Laurie Goodstein |date=April 6, 2006|work=The New York Times|access-date=19 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/document.html|title=View the Gospel of Judas Interactive Document|work=[[National Geographic Society]]|access-date=19 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060408052336/http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/document.html|archive-date=April 8, 2006}}</ref>
* [[Henri Poincaré]]'s prize-winning submission for the 1889 [[celestial mechanics]] contest of king [[Oscar II]] was thought to be lost.  While this version was being printed, Poincaré himself discovered a serious error.  The existing version was recalled and then replaced by a heavily modified and corrected version, now regarded as the seminal description of [[chaos theory]].  The original erroneous submission was thought to be lost, but it was found in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mittag-leffler.se/library/henri-poincare |title=FROM ORDER TO CHAOS: THE PRIZE COMPETITION IN HONOUR OF KING OSCAR II |author= Mikael Rågstedt |publisher=Institut Mittag-Leffler}}</ref>
* [[W. A. Mozart]] and [[Antonio Salieri]] are known to have composed together a cantata for voice and piano called ''[[Per la ricuperata salute di Ofelia]]'' which was celebrating the return to stage of the singer [[Nancy Storace]], and which has been lost, although it had been printed by [[Artaria]] in 1785.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elperiodico.cat/ca/noticias/oci-i-cultura/cantata-conjunta-mozart-salieri-posa-entredit-rivalitat-musics-4836075|title=Mozart i Salieri van escriure junts una cantata|work=[[El Periódico de Catalunya]]|date=January 22, 2016|access-date=January 25, 2016}}</ref> The music had been considered lost until November 2015, when German musicologist and composer [[Timo Jouko Herrmann]] identified the score while searching for music by one of Salieri's ostensible pupils, [[Antonio Casimir Cartellieri]], in the archives of the Czech Museum of Music in [[Prague]].<ref name="Reuters">Muller, R., and Kahn, M., [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-czech-mozart-idUSKCN0VP1PQ "Czech musician performs long-lost Mozart score for first time"], [[Reuters]], Feb. 16, 2016.</ref>
* ''[[The Tale of Kitty-in-Boots|A Tale of Kitty in Boots]]'' by [[Beatrix Potter]], the handwritten manuscripts for this story were found in school notebooks, including a few illustrations. She intended to finish the book, but was interrupted by wars and marriage and farming. It was found nearly 100 years later and published for the first time in September 2016.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/06/health/beatrix-potter-book-kitty-in-boots-impact/|title=Discovered Beatrix Potter Tale, Kitty in Boots, releases |first=Ashley |last=Strickland |work=[[CNN]] |date=September 6, 2016|access-date=December 3, 2016}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* [[Umberto Eco]]'s ''[[The Name of the Rose]]'' features a murder mystery whose solution hinges on the contents of Aristotle's [[Poetics (Aristotle)|lost second book of ''Poetics'']] (dealing with comedy).
* [[Dan Brown]]'s ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]'' builds its central theme around a fictional account of the [[apocrypha]]l and partially lost [[Gnostic Gospels]].
* [[Joe Haldeman]]'s science fiction novel ''[[The Hemingway Hoax]]'' centers on a suitcase with writings by [[Ernest Hemingway]] which was stolen in 1922 at the [[Paris-Gare de Lyon|Gare de Lyon]] in Paris.
* "[[The Shakespeare Code]]" is a [[Doctor Who (series 3)|''Doctor Who'' episode]] that explains the fate of ''[[Love's Labour's Won]]''.
* ''[[The Mysteries of Harris Burdick]]'' is presented as a series of images ostensibly created by one Harris Burdick, who had intended to use them for his children's books before he mysteriously disappeared. Each image is accompanied by a title and a single line of text, which encourage readers to create their own stories.
* [[H. P. Lovecraft]] wrote that all the original Arabic copies of ''[[Necronomicon|The Necronomicon]]'' (''Al Azif'') have been destroyed, as well as the Arabic to Greek translations. Only five Greek to Latin translations are held by libraries, though copies may exist in private collections.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lovecraft |first=H. P. |author-link=H. P. Lovecraft |title=The History of the Necronomicon |url=http://www.hplovecraft.com/writings/texts/fiction/hn.aspx |date=1927 |website=The H. P. Lovecraft Archive |access-date=22 September 2019}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Art theft]]
* [[Bonfire of the vanities]]
* [[Iconoclasm]]
* [[Link rot]]
* [[List of comics solicited but never published]]
* [[List of destroyed heritage]]
* [[List of lost films]]
* [[List of missing treasures]]
* [[List of unpublished books]]
* [[Literary fragment]]
* [[Lost film]]
* [[Lost media]]
* [[Lost television broadcast]]
* [[Unfinished creative work]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[Thomas Browne|Browne, Thomas]]. ''[[Musaeum Clausum]] or Bibliotheca Abscondita'' (published posthumously in 1683)
* Deuel, Leo. ''Testaments of Time: The Search for Lost Manuscripts and Records'' (New York: Knopf, 1965)
* Dudbridge, Glen. ''Lost Books of Medieval China'' (London: The British Library, 2000)
* Kelly, Stuart. ''The Book of Lost Books'' (Viking, 2005) {{ISBN|0-670-91499-1}}
* Peter, Hermann. ''[[Historicorum Romanorum reliquiae]]'' (2 vols., [[Bibliotheca Teubneriana|B.G. Teubner]], Leipzig, 1870, 2nd ed. 1914–16)
* Wilson. R. M. ''The Lost Literature of Medieval England'' (London: Methuen, 1952)

==External links==
* [https://lostmediawiki.com/Category:Lost_literature List of Lost Literature] article category section on The Lost Media Wiki
* [[:hu:Dokumentumpusztulások Magyarországon|Document destruction in Hungary]]
* [https://www.newscientist.com/article/2308822-we-have-lost-90-per-cent-of-the-original-copies-of-medieval-literature/ We have lost 90 per cent of the original copies of Medieval literature]
* [http://www.papyrology.ox.ac.uk/Fragments/lost_date_descend.html Discoveries of Lost Classical Literature]
* [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124001426103530947 Longing for Great Lost Works]
* [http://www.tertullian.org/works_lost.htm Lost works of Tertullian]
* [http://www.annomundi.com/history/berosus.htm Lost Works of Berosus]
* [http://www.mozartforum.com/VB_forum/showthread.php?t=115 Lost Works of W.A. Mozart]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060702094738/http://www.pw.org/mag/0311/newsorthofer.htm Weighing Words Over Last Wishes]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20091106063755/http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/classics/research/projects/fragment-tragedy.aspx Fragmentary Tragedies of Sophocles Project]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060618073031/http://rickmcgrath.com/jgballard/jgblostnovel.html In Search of a Lost JG Ballard Novel]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3038368.stm Hi-tech imaging could reveal lost texts]
* [http://rictornorton.co.uk/suppress.htm The Suppression of Lesbian and Gay History]
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lost literature| ]]
[[Category:Literature lists]]
[[Category:Literary works]]