The most famous of these ancient Maqatil is "Maqtal Abī Mikhnaf":

Abū Mikhnaf is Lūṭ ibn Yaḥyā ibn Sa‘īd ibn Mikhnaf ibn Sulaym Al-Azdī. Abū Yaḥyā ibn Sa‘īd was among those who were contemporaries of Amir Al-Mouminine. Abū Mikhnaf was born around the year 110 AH and was considered the Sheikh of historians in Kūfah and one of the notable early historians.

The book Maqtal Al-Husayn attributed to Abū Mikhnaf is scientifically weak and unreliable. It contains many errors, including:

Errors in the chain of narration (Isnad): such as "Abū Mikhnaf told us from Muḥammad ibn Sā’ib (d. 260 AH) or Al-Kulaynī (d. 316 AH)"—meaning people who died 200 years after him.

The use of colloquial language not present in the first and second Hijri centuries, indicating it was written in later eras.

Mentioning the killing of people who were not killed in the battle.

Attributing verses of poets to our Master Al-Ḥusayn (may his glory be exalted).

Many errors in dates.

Sayyid ‘Abd Al-Ḥusayn Sharaf Al-Dīn, author of Al-Murāja‘āt (d. 1975 AD), commented on this book: "It is no secret that the circulated book Maqtal Al-Husayn attributed to Abū Mikhnaf includes many hadiths of which Abū Mikhnaf had no knowledge; they are merely lies against the man, and liars against him have abounded."

As for the narrators from whom Abū Mikhnaf narrated:

The narrators who were present in Karbalā’ are 4 people:

Ḥumayd ibn Muslim Al-Azdī (most of the Maqtal is narrated from him).

Muḥammad ibn Bishr Al-Hamdānī.

Al-Ḥajjāj ibn ‘Alī Al-Bāriqī.

Abū Al-Widdād Jabr ibn Nawfal Al-Hamdānī.