This textbook is one of the versions of the educational course “History of Foreign Literature”, studied in higher educational institutions of the humanities in accordance with Federal educational standards and educational programs. In addition, for the most part, the material of the textbook also corresponds to the standardized principles of the “Literature” course. The manual covers the main historical stages in the development of ancient European, Middle Asian and Eastern literature, focusing on artistic features, the skill of the creators and a brief description of the historical and socio-political situation. The manual makes an attempt to cover the most striking literary phenomena of the era. The textbook is written in accessible language. The material is arranged in connection with the logic of the development of historical events. One of the most important parts of the manual is the bibliography and questions for self-preparation for exams and tests. Textbook “World Literature: The Art of Words of Ancient Greece, Rome, the East and Asia. An illustrated textbook for students of higher educational institutions in the humanities (bachelor's, master's) seems useful not only for students and teachers of higher educational institutions, but also for everyone interested in the history of world literature.