Literature of Ancient Greece

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The ancient Greeks created much of what is used, spoken, read, and written today. Without the Greeks and their inventions or developments, life now wouldn’t be the same. Literature was one of these many Greek contributions. Literature is still very important to all of us today. Epic poetry, mythology, and the creation of the dramatic genres comedy and tragedy, all came from ancient Greece. Much literature influenced to create what we write today was lead through time, beginning with the ancient Greeks. The best epic poems would no longer exist, the myths we use to learn about them would no longer exist, and all hilarious or absolutely tragic stories, Shakespeare’s included, would no longer exist. We have the Greeks to thank for much of the literature famous even today.

Epic poetry is defined as a long, and narrative poem including details of a heroic event that affects the culture of a civilization. At times, epic poetry is counted as oral poetry, or as short poems with the theme of romance or mythology. Examples of Greek mythological epic poetry are the following: Iliad, Odyssey, ascribed to Homer, Works and Days, Theogony, Catalogue of Women, and Shield of Heracles, ascribed to Hesiod. Some 20th Century examples are Cerulean Odyssey: Journey of a Long Distance Voyager. by Gerrit Verstraete, Thaliad by Marly Youmans, and Sveta poroka by Vlado Žabot. The most famous examples would be Ramayana, Mahabharata, the Ancient Greek Iliad and the Odyssey, the Old English Beowulf, or the Portuguese Lusiads in the Philippines Hinilawod. Epic poems have dialogue and the scenes change, unlike usual poems. This type of poetry had an oral tradition. The stories were passed down, most probably in a family, from master to his pupil storyteller....

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...n’t exist, along with the funniest movies. The next time thoughts are had while watching an epic, mythological, tragic movie. Or while reading a classic epic, mythological, tragic novel. The Greeks of thousands of years ago made these things. The gift of literature. Nascent thousands of years old. Hatched from the egg of literature. Epic poetry, mythology, tragedy and comedy genres. Ancient Greek.

Works Cited

"Epic Literature." About.com Ancient / Classical History. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 May 2013.
"Epic Poetry." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 May 2013. Web. 29 May 2013.
"Greece - Greek Literature." About.com Ancient / Classical History. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2013.
"Greek Mythology." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 May 2013. Web. 30 May 2013.
"Theatre of Ancient Greece." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 May 2013. Web. 30 May 2013.

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