What is the oldest known work of fiction?












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What is the oldest known work of fiction that we know was meant to be taken as fiction? I mean to exclude mythologies; the audience of these was meant to believe they were true. What is the oldest work of fiction where it's truth was never considered?



An example of what I'm looking for: Lysitrata is a work of fiction, and it's audience knew that. The Egyptian creation myth is a work of fiction, but it's audience did not know that.










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    What is the oldest known work of fiction that we know was meant to be taken as fiction? I mean to exclude mythologies; the audience of these was meant to believe they were true. What is the oldest work of fiction where it's truth was never considered?



    An example of what I'm looking for: Lysitrata is a work of fiction, and it's audience knew that. The Egyptian creation myth is a work of fiction, but it's audience did not know that.










    share|improve this question







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    Ryan_L is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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      What is the oldest known work of fiction that we know was meant to be taken as fiction? I mean to exclude mythologies; the audience of these was meant to believe they were true. What is the oldest work of fiction where it's truth was never considered?



      An example of what I'm looking for: Lysitrata is a work of fiction, and it's audience knew that. The Egyptian creation myth is a work of fiction, but it's audience did not know that.










      share|improve this question







      New contributor




      Ryan_L is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
      Check out our Code of Conduct.












      What is the oldest known work of fiction that we know was meant to be taken as fiction? I mean to exclude mythologies; the audience of these was meant to believe they were true. What is the oldest work of fiction where it's truth was never considered?



      An example of what I'm looking for: Lysitrata is a work of fiction, and it's audience knew that. The Egyptian creation myth is a work of fiction, but it's audience did not know that.







      classical-antiquity literature






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          I remember being taught that the oldest known work of fiction was the Ancient Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers.



          The story was one of those found on the Papyrus D'Orbiney, which has been dated to the 19th Dynasty (c 1215 BCE) and is now owned by the British Museum:



          Two brothers




          • Image source British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)


          The text is written in hieratic script, but a translation is available in Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature: Volume II: The New Kingdom, pp 203-211.






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            I remember being taught that the oldest known work of fiction was the Ancient Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers.



            The story was one of those found on the Papyrus D'Orbiney, which has been dated to the 19th Dynasty (c 1215 BCE) and is now owned by the British Museum:



            Two brothers




            • Image source British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)


            The text is written in hieratic script, but a translation is available in Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature: Volume II: The New Kingdom, pp 203-211.






            share|improve this answer






























              5














              I remember being taught that the oldest known work of fiction was the Ancient Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers.



              The story was one of those found on the Papyrus D'Orbiney, which has been dated to the 19th Dynasty (c 1215 BCE) and is now owned by the British Museum:



              Two brothers




              • Image source British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)


              The text is written in hieratic script, but a translation is available in Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature: Volume II: The New Kingdom, pp 203-211.






              share|improve this answer




























                5












                5








                5







                I remember being taught that the oldest known work of fiction was the Ancient Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers.



                The story was one of those found on the Papyrus D'Orbiney, which has been dated to the 19th Dynasty (c 1215 BCE) and is now owned by the British Museum:



                Two brothers




                • Image source British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)


                The text is written in hieratic script, but a translation is available in Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature: Volume II: The New Kingdom, pp 203-211.






                share|improve this answer















                I remember being taught that the oldest known work of fiction was the Ancient Egyptian Tale of Two Brothers.



                The story was one of those found on the Papyrus D'Orbiney, which has been dated to the 19th Dynasty (c 1215 BCE) and is now owned by the British Museum:



                Two brothers




                • Image source British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)


                The text is written in hieratic script, but a translation is available in Miriam Lichtheim's Ancient Egyptian Literature: Volume II: The New Kingdom, pp 203-211.







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