Epic Poetry: The Earliest Literary Art Form

For millennia, writers have expressed themselves through poetry, an intimate literary art form that dates back to 2000 BC.

The earliest recognized form of poetry is called “epic,” a type of long narration that usually explores an ancient character’s adventures. The word “epic” is derived from the Greek word “epos,” meaning “story, word, poem.”

While the characteristics of epics vary across different cultures, they typically feature a formal style, third-person narration, an omniscient narrator, and a brave hero who embarks on a journey.

Epics also usually take place in the ancient world, address concerns about the future of civilization, and include obstacles – often supernatural – that the hero must face.

The First Epic Poetry

Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient story about a Mesopotamian king, is credited as not only the first poem ever written but also the oldest piece of literature. Turkish Assyriologist Hormuzd Rassam discovered the ancient text on 12 Akkadian-language tablets in the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal’s library, which was in ruins at the time.

While the epic poem was incomplete when it was first found, many of the gaps have been filled in by fragments of the tablets located around Mesopotamia and Anatolia. Its author remains unknown.

For hundreds of years, no one could read the tablets, which were transcribed in the earliest form of writing known as cuneiform. This involved making wedge-shaped dents in soft clay using reeds.

In the mid-19th century, George Smith, a self-taught Londoner studying the ancient tablets in a British museum, figured out a way to translate the texts, and the Epic of Gilgamesh was revealed.

The story follows Gilgamesh, a king and son of a goddess who rules the city of Uruk, found in modern-day Iraq. He is a warrior who erects a spectacular city, but the gods are not happy with him because he is full of lust and behaves like a tyrant. As punishment, they create Enkidu, a wild man whose job is to stop Gilgamesh’s oppression.

More Famous Epics

Epic of Gilgamesh might be the oldest poem known to man, but Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey are often credited as the most well-known epics. Homer’s stories cover the Trojan War and Odysseus’ journey home after leaving Troy.

The two poems were written in Epic Greek, which is also called Homeric Greek. While it is unclear exactly when they were written, many believe Homer lived between 850 and 650 BC.

A second famous epic is the Mahābhārata, an ancient Indian story written in Sanskrit. Researchers believe the poem dates back to 400 BC, but some scholars disagree, insisting it was transcribed in the eighth or ninth century BC. The Indian poem has a remarkable 200,000 lines, making it the longest ever written.

Dante Alighieri wrote the epic poem The Divine Comedy over twelve years, finishing the work in 1320. It follows Dante as he travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. The poem is divided into sections called Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso.

Beowulf, another well-known example of epic poetry, was written between 975 and 1025 AD. The Old English poem tells the story of the hero Beowulf, a warrior who fights monsters and a dragon in a mythical Scandinavian setting.

“Do not grieve, wise warrior! It is better for each man that he avenge his friend than to mourn him much,” the poem reads. “Each of us must accept the end of life here in this world — so we must work while we can to earn fame before death.”

1. The earliest form of poetry is called “epic poetry.”
2. Epic of Gilgamesh is the oldest poem ever written.
3. Epics usually feature a formal style, third-person narration, and a brave hero.