ancient epics
Classical narrative poems
Ancient epics are long narrative poems from early civilizations, typically recounting the deeds of heroes, gods, and foundational events of a culture.
Works like the *Iliad*, *Odyssey*, *Gilgamesh*, and *Beowulf* established conventions—elevated language, vast scope, journeys, battles—that shaped Western literature.
The phrase often implies both the genre and its canonical examples: She specialized in ancient epics and their influence on modern fantasy.
- epicImpressively grand in scope
- mythologyBody of traditional tales
- heroic deedsCourageous acts of valor
- invocationCalling upon higher authority
- oral traditionCulture passed by speech
blind poet · ballad · Mesopotamia · Gilgamesh · fate · hero's journey · wrath of Achilles · divine intervention · folklore · Greece · monsters · lotus eaters · wooden horse · prophecy · Mahabharata · India · quests · Rome
- classic literatureIliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Divine Comedy, Paradise Lost
- epic poetryIliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, Paradise Lost, Beowulf
- heroic literaturemythic heroes, legendary figures, sagas, Iliad, Odyssey
- legendary historyfounding myth, founding myths, legendary kings, origin story, origin stories
- Irish MythologyFenian Cycle, Morrigan, Deirdre, Sidhe, Brigid
- epicsIliad, Odyssey, Aeneid, epic poem, Beowulf
ancient epicsmodern novels
Recent book-length narratives
contemporary fiction · postmodern literature · modern poetry · tweets · blog posts
ancient epicshaiku
Japanese seventeen-syllable verse
epigrams · short stories · lyric poems · fragments · aphorisms