Ancient epics remain a fount of inspiration for poets, dramatists, and musicians not only because they tell good stories in an aesthetically beautiful way, but also because they speak to contemporary hearts and minds still wrestling with timeless issues of human limitation, passion, violence, and uses and abuses of power.

By addressing such eternal themes as heroism, personal responsibility, love, and human mortality, the ancient Greek and Roman epic poems speak to us with an urgency and relevance that transcends the ages. Who among us does not recognize the angry idealism of Achilles, the struggles of Aeneas and long-suffering Odysseus, or the obsessive passion of Medea? The memorable protagonists of the ancient epics grappled with personal and political issues that pervaded archaic history - just as in modern times. And in their heroes' ambitions and imperfections we cannot help but see ourselves.

Ancient Epic offers a comprehensive and accessible introduction to six of the greatest ancient epics - The Epic of Gilgamesh, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, Ovid's Metamorphoses, and Apollonius of Rhodes's Agonautica. Each of these sweeping epics remains a rich source of literary inspiration and holds treasured positions in our cultural imagination. After introducing readers to the extraordinary Sumerian work that started it all, the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Greek and Roman works proceed chronologically, with individual chapters first setting each epic in its proper historical context. Ancient Epic is a passionate homage to a rich literary tradition that remains a powerful source of inspiration for all time and all people.