The existing Pali Literature is of great extent and importance; it is valuable alike to the philologist, the historian, the student of folklore, and the student of comparative religion. A considerable portion of it is known to us in outline, but only the merest fraction has as yet been published textually. It may broadly be classed under three heads: first the Buddhist Scriptures, which are the oldest Buddhist writings extant; secondly the commentaries of Buddhaghosha, which date only from the fifth century A.D., but are based upon records of great antiquity; and thirdly, historical, grammatical and other works, varying in date from the second or third century to the present day.
