https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_lost_literary_works

For anyone who wants to read ancient texts, there are bilingual editions, for example those of the "Loeb library".

The translations that omit the original text are just for the people who want to have some idea about the content, but do not care about the correctness of the translation.

With a bilingual edition, it is easy to understand the original text even with relatively little knowledge about the original language.

The original text is important because frequently the translator is forced to introduce inaccuracies in the translation, because of the absence of exact equivalents in the target language, which would require a long explanation of the original meaning, instead of just a translated sentence.

Especially misleading are translations where several distinct ancient words are translated using the same English word, so some nuances are lost.

Equally confusing are the cases when the translator chooses to translate the same ancient word by different English words, because even if the meaning of a word may depend on the context, many translators fail to judge correctly the context, because they may lack specialized knowledge so their guesses are not necessarily better than of the readers who may be less competent in linguistics, but more competent in the science or technology needed to understand the context. Better translators prefer to use a one-to-one mapping between words, which makes it easier for the readers to discover the meaning intended by the ancient writer, after seeing multiple examples of usage.

* ἐκ- = “out,” “thoroughly,” “to the end”

* πονέω = “to labor,” “to toil,” “to work hard”

While I step through the valley of the shadow of death,

I contemplate my life and perceive that nothing remains.

For I have hurled weapons and laughed for so long that

Even to my mother, my mind appears to have departed.

Yet I have deceived no one except him who was worthy of it;

For me to be held as a coward—that indeed is unheard of.

Beware what you speak and where you set out,

Lest you and your companions be outlined in chalk.