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