According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an epic means both “a long narrative poem in elevated style recounting the deeds of a legendary or historical hero,” and “a work of art (such as a novel or drama) that resembles or suggests an epic”. Another definition is “a series of events or body of legend or tradition thought to form the proper subject of an epic”.
The origins of epic stem from the Greek adjective “epikos” that comes from the Greek word “epos” which means word or song. The word is later formed to Latin’s “eipein” which means say.
Some examples of oral epics are Homer’s The Iliad and The Odessey. Another is the Old English epic poem Beowulf.
Basically, an epic is a long poem about a hero and themes around legacy, legends, and/or traditions from a culture.
Do you know any epics?
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