A Companion to Ancient Epic

A Companion to Ancient Epic presents for the first time a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of ancient Near Eastern, Greek and Roman epic.

It offers a multi-disciplinary discussion of both longstanding ideas and newer perspectives. * A Companion to the Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman epic traditions * Considers the interrelation between these different traditions * Provides a balanced overview of longstanding ideas and newer perspectives in the study of epic * Shows how scholarship over the last forty years has transformed the ways that we conceive of and understand the genre * Covers recently introduced topics, such as the role of women, the history of reception, and comparison with living analogues from oral tradition * The editor and contributors are leading scholars in the field * Includes a detailed index of poems, poets, technical terms, and important figures and events