7. Mahabharata            Literature           Indian 
  Author:           Anonymous (Vyasa by convention)  
  Date:

          Setting in 8~9th c. B.C., text formed between 4th c. B.C. to

          4th c. A.D. (I arbitraily assume text substanitally formed in

          2th c. B.C., thus the position slightly before Shiji

  Significance:

          Longest poem of the world; setting/origination earlier

          than Ramayana; includes Bhagavadgita and a version of

          the Rama story

8.

Records of the

Grand Historian 

          History           Chinese 
  Author:           Sima Qian (145-~86B.C.)   
  Date:

          Between 122B.C. (by Sima Qian's father

          Sima Tan) and 93B.C. (per Sima Qian's own

          letter Bao Ren An Shu

  Significance:

          First general history of China; origination of the mixed

          annalistic-biographical structure used in later official

          Histories; later recognized for its accurate yet elegant

          ancient  prose style (guwen)

9. Aeneid            Literature           Greco-Roman 
  Author:           Virgil (70-19B.C.)   
  Date:

          Composed between 29-19B.C. 

  Significance:           Pinnacle of Latin-language literature 
10. Bible            Religious / Foundational Classics           Christian 
  Author:           Multiple, such as St. Paul   
  Date:

          Old Testament probably 6th c. B.C. or before, majority of

          new Testament texts completed by 100A.D.,

          canonization in its current form during 4th c. A.D. 

  Significance:

          Most sold book in world history; includes the Old

          Testament which is also canonical for Judaism 

11. Laws of Manu            Philosophy           Indian 
  Author:           Anonymous (putatively Manu)  
  Date:

          Between 2th c. B.C. to 2th c. A.D., more probably 2nd

          c. A.D. (following Patrick Olivelle)

  Significance:

          Most important smriti work, as a group considered

          second in authority to sruti (the Vedas)

12. Mulamadhyamaka-karika            Philosophy           Buddhist
  Author:           Nagarjuna (~150-250A.D.)   
  Date:

          Assumed to be ~200A.D. 

  Significance:

          "Second Buddha"; foundational

          philosopher of Mahayana Buddhism

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