Paradoxography is a genre of classical literature which deals with the occurrence of abnormal or inexplicable phenomena of the natural or human worlds. Early surviving examples of the genre include: *

Palaephatus Palaephatus (Ancient Greek: ) was the author of a rationalizing text on Greek mythology, the paradoxographical work ''On Incredible Things'' (; ), which survives in a (probably corrupt) Byzantine edition. This work consists of an introduction and ...

's ' ("On Incredible Things") ( 4th century BCE) * The ' ("Collection of Extraordinary Tales") composed by

Antigonus of Carystus Antigonus of Carystus (; grc, Ἀντίγονος ὁ Καρύστιος; la, Antigonus Carystius), Greek writer on various subjects, flourished in the 3rd century BCE. After some time spent at Athens and in travelling, he was summoned to the co ...

( fl. 3rd century BCE), partly on the basis of a paradoxographical work of

Callimachus Callimachus (; ) was an ancient Greek poet, scholar and librarian who was active in Alexandria during the 3rd century BC. A representative of Ancient Greek literature of the Hellenistic period, he wrote over 800 literary works in a wide varie ...

Apollonius Paradoxographus Apollonius Paradoxographus was the otherwise unknown author of a paradoxographical work entitled ''Mirabilia'' or ''Historiae Mirabiles''. This was compiled from the works of earlier writers around the 2nd century BC.Craig A. Evans, (2005), ''Anci ...

's ' (2nd century BCE) It is believed that the content of the

pseudo-Aristotelian Pseudo-Aristotle is a general cognomen for authors of philosophical or medical treatises who attributed their work to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, or whose work was later attributed to him by others. Such falsely attributed works are known as ...

On Marvellous Things Heard ''On Marvellous Things Heard'' ( grc-gre, Περὶ θαυμασίων ἀκουσμάτων; Latin: ''De mirabilibus auscultationibus'') is a collection of thematically arranged anecdotes traditionally attributed to Aristotle but written by a Pse ...

'' (''De mirabilibus auscultationibus'') originated in the

Hellenistic period In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

, while the final form reflects centuries of expansion at least as recent as the second century of the Christian era.Laura Gibbs, review of Gabriella Vanotti, ' (Milano: Bompiani, 2007)
''Bryn Mawr Classical Review'' 2009.02.22
/ref> Phlegon of Tralles's ''Book of Marvels'', which dates from the 2nd century CE, is perhaps the most famous example of the genre, including various stories of human abnormalities. Phlegon's brief accounts of prodigies and wonders include ghost stories, accounts of monstrous births, strange animals like centaurs, hermaphrodites, giant skeletons and prophesying heads. Phlegon's writing is characterised by brief and forthright description, as well as a tongue-in-cheek insistence on the veracity of his claims. Other works of this genre in Greek include

Heraclitus the Paradoxographer Heraclitus Paradoxographus ( el, Ἡράκλειτος) is the author of the lesser-known of two works known as ''Peri Apiston'' (''On Unbelievable Tales''). Palaephatus was the author of a better-known work of paradoxography with the same title, m ...

's ' ("On Incredible Things", 1st or 2nd century CE) and

Claudius Aelianus Claudius Aelianus ( grc, Κλαύδιος Αἰλιανός, Greek transliteration ''Kláudios Ailianós''; c. 175c. 235 AD), commonly Aelian (), born at Praeneste, was a Roman author and teacher of rhetoric who flourished under Septimius Severu ...

's ''On the Nature of Animals'' (3rd century CE). In

Latin literature Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings written in the Latin language. The beginning of formal Latin literature dates to 240 BC, when the first stage play in Latin was performed in Rome. Latin literature ...

, both

Marcus Terentius Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...

and

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

wrote works on ' ("marvelous things"), which do not survive.

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