epics
Grand narrative poems
Epics are long narrative works centered on heroic deeds and grand events—the *Iliad*, *Beowulf*, *Paradise Lost*.
The term extends to any ambitious, sweeping story: an epic film, an epic novel.
Informally, epic describes anything impressively large or memorable: That party was epic.
We're planning an epic road trip across the country.
Ancient Greek epic composer
- IliadAncient Greek war epic
- OdysseyEpic of homecoming
- GilgameshMesopotamian epic protagonist
- MahabharataSanskrit war epic
Ramayana · Beowulf · Aeneid · Virgil · Dante · Paradise Lost · Troy · Achilles
Extended heroic narrative
- chronicleOrdered historical record
- taleSpoken or written narrative
- legendUnverified traditional tale
- odysseyExtended adventurous journey
quest · journey · voyage · adventure · cycle · trilogy · sweeping · sprawling
One admired for courage
- valorCourage in danger
- braveryBoldness before danger
- courageFortitude facing danger
- warriorOne skilled in combat
champion · conquest · triumph · battle · legendary · defender · quest · sacrifice
Exceptionally large or significant
- vastExtremely great in size
- sublimeAwe-inspiring greatness
- majesticImpressively dignified and beautiful
- awe-inspiringEvoking reverential wonder
magnificent · sweeping · sprawling · ambitious · colossal · towering · grandiose · larger-than-life
All gods of a religion
- deitiesWorshipped supernatural beings
- OlympiansGreek gods or top athletes
- titansDominant powerful figures
- ZeusGreek sky god
Poseidon · Hades · Valhalla · Asgard · underworld · prophecy · oracle · demigods
Enormously successful entertainment property
- HollywoodAmerican film industry center
- BollywoodIndian film industry
- Ben-HurJudean prince turned slave
- GladiatorAncient arena warrior
Braveheart · Lord of the Rings · Lawrence of Arabia · cinematography · widescreen · cast of thousands · costume drama · historical
Homer
Ancient Greek epic composer
Mahabharata · Ramayana · Beowulf · Aeneid · Virgil · Dante · Paradise Lost · Troy · Achilles · Hector
saga
Extended heroic narrative
odyssey · quest · journey · voyage · adventure · cycle · trilogy · sweeping · sprawling · multivolume
hero
One admired for courage
warrior · champion · conquest · triumph · battle · legendary · defender · quest · sacrifice · noble
monumental
Exceptionally large or significant
- vastExtremely great in size
- sublimeAwe-inspiring greatness
- majesticImpressively dignified and beautiful
awe-inspiring · magnificent · sweeping · sprawling · ambitious · colossal · towering · grandiose · larger-than-life · spectacular
pantheon
All gods of a religion
- deitiesWorshipped supernatural beings
- OlympiansGreek gods or top athletes
- titansDominant powerful figures
Zeus · Poseidon · Hades · Valhalla · Asgard · underworld · prophecy · oracle · demigods · Elysium
blockbuster
Enormously successful entertainment property
- HollywoodAmerican film industry center
- BollywoodIndian film industry
- Ben-HurJudean prince turned slave
Gladiator · Braveheart · Lord of the Rings · Lawrence of Arabia · cinematography · widescreen · cast of thousands · costume drama · historical · action
- ancient historyancient history, ancient world, classical antiquity, ancient empires, Mesopotamia
- mythologyZeus, Apollo, Athena, Poseidon, Odin
- Latin LiteratureCicero, Virgil, Ovid, Horace, Caesar
- Greek LiteratureHomer, myths, Greek poetry, fables, Iliad
- Indian textsVedas, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Buddhist texts
- Myth TextsTheogony, Iliad, Odyssey, Mahabharata, Ramayana
epicsvignettes
Brief evocative descriptions
haiku · epigrams · lyrics · lyric poems · short stories
epicstrivia
Unimportant miscellaneous facts
trifles · slice-of-life · character studies · intimate portraits
- epic failsSpectacular, shareable blunders
- epic battleLarge-scale legendary conflict
- epic talesExtended heroic narratives
- epic adventureGrand-scale heroic journey
- epic questsGrand, lengthy heroic adventures
- epic journeyMonumental, transformative voyage