Epic
An English adjective meaning grand in scale or heroic, derived from the Greek epos meaning word or speech, referring to the tradition of long narrative poems about heroes and gods
The Meaning of Epic
The word "epic" derives from the Greek epos, meaning word, speech, or narrative verse. In ancient Greece, epic poetry was the highest literary form — long narrative poems performed orally that recounted the deeds of gods, heroes, and the foundational events of civilization. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, composed in the eighth century BCE, are the supreme examples: the Iliad tells of the wrath of Achilles during the Trojan War, while the Odyssey follows Odysseus's journey home. These poems were composed in dactylic hexameter, a metre considered appropriate to the grandeur of their subjects. Hesiod's Theogony and Works and Days established a parallel tradition of didactic epic. The genre influenced Virgil's Aeneid, Dante's Divine Comedy, Milton's Paradise Lost, and countless other works. The word "epic" entered English as both a noun (a long narrative poem) and an adjective (grand, heroic, monumental in scale). In modern colloquial usage, "epic" has been diluted to mean simply impressive or excellent, a semantic journey from the falls of Troy to casual social media commentary that itself traces a kind of cultural epic in miniature.
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Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
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Nonnus
💭 conceptEpic poetry, Dionysus
Late antique poet who composed the Dionysiaca, the longest surviving epic poem from Greco-Roman antiquity
Odyssey
💭 conceptLanguage and literature
An English word meaning a long, eventful, and often difficult journey, derived from the title of Homer's epic poem describing Odysseus's ten-year voyage home from Troy
Virgil
💭 conceptEpic poetry, Rome, fate
Roman poet who composed the Aeneid linking Rome's founding to the Trojan War through Aeneas's journey
Iliad
💭 conceptLiterature
Homer's epic poem recounting the wrath of Achilles during the final year of the Trojan War
Apollonius of Rhodes
💭 conceptEpic poetry, Argonauts
Hellenistic poet who composed the Argonautica, the epic of Jason and the Golden Fleece
Dionysiaca
💭 conceptLiterature
Nonnus's sprawling epic poem narrating the life and conquests of the god Dionysus in forty-eight books
Titan
💭 conceptLanguage and scale
An English word meaning something of enormous size, strength, or importance, derived from the Titans, the primordial gods who ruled before the Olympians
Promethean
💭 conceptLanguage and ambition
An English adjective meaning daringly creative, rebellious, or boldly innovative, derived from the Titan Prometheus who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humanity
Lyric
💭 conceptLanguage and music
An English word for the words of a song or poetry expressing personal emotion, derived from lyrikos meaning "of or for the lyre," the instrument that accompanied Greek sung poetry
Heroic Ideal
💭 conceptEthics
The Greek conception of the exemplary human who transcends ordinary limits through excellence and suffering
Homer
💭 conceptEpic poetry, Troy, Odyssey
Legendary blind poet credited with composing the Iliad and the Odyssey
Aeneid
💭 conceptLiterature
Virgil's epic poem following the Trojan hero Aeneas from the fall of Troy to the founding of Rome