The Athenian Letters was a collaborative work of Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek

Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...

 history and geography, published by a circle of authors around Charles Yorke

Charles Yorke

Charles Yorke was Lord Chancellor of Great Britain.-Life:The second son of Philip Yorke, 1st Earl of Hardwicke, he was born in London, and was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. His literary abilities were shown at an early age by his collaboration with his brother Philip in the...

 and Philip Yorke

Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke

Philip Yorke, 2nd Earl of Hardwicke FRS , and eldest son of the 1st earl, was educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.In 1741 he became a fellow of the Royal Society...

, and taking the form of commentary in letter form on Thucidydes. It had a “considerable vogue”.

While still college students, the brothers Yorke planned the work, which was begun in 1739 and appeared in two volumes (1741 and 1743), initially in a very small private edition. Others involved, anonymously, were Thomas Birch

Thomas Birch

Thomas Birch was an English historian.-Life:He was the son of Joseph Birch, a coffee-mill maker, and was born at Clerkenwell....

, Henry Coventry, John Green

John Green (bishop)

John Green was a British clergyman and academic.Green was born at Beverley in Yorkshire in 1706.Having been schooled in his home town, he was admitted to St John’s College, Cambridge in 1724. Green graduated B.A. in 1728 and was awarded a fellowship in 1730.Green joined the priesthood in 1731 and...

, Samuel Salter, Catherine Talbot

Catherine Talbot

Catherine Talbot was an English author and member of the Blue Stockings Society.-Life:Born in May 1721, was the posthumous and only child of Edward Talbot, second son of William Talbot, bishop of Durham, and his wife Mary , daughter of George Martyn, prebendary of Lincoln. Her uncle Charles...

, Daniel Wray

Daniel Wray

-Life:Born on 28 November 1701 in the parish of St. Botolph, Aldersgate, he was the youngest child of Sir Daniel Wray , a London citizen and soap-boiler residing in Little Britain, by his second wife. His father was knighted on 24 March 1708, while high sheriff of Essex, where he possessed an...

, George Henry Rooke, John Heaton, John Lawry, and William Heberden

William Heberden

William Heberden , English physician, was born in London, where he received the early part of his education.At the end of 1724 he was sent to St John's College, Cambridge, where he obtained a fellowship, around 1730, became master of arts in 1732, and took the degree of MD in 1739...

. The authorship was for a long time a well-guarded secret. A one-volume edition in 1781 ran to 100 copies, the first edition having been only of 10, and later editions and a French translation followed.