 Niese is best known for his then definitive "editio maior" of the works of the Jewish historian Josephus (Weidmann, Berlin, 1885–1895), based on a detailed study of the best manuscripts available.His numbering system is still the most commonly used when referring to the text.His other works include "Grundriß der römischen Geschichte", 1889–1905), "Studien insbesondere über klassische griechische Autoren" and "Die Entwicklung der homerischen Poesie", 1882.