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 traditionsConsiders the interrelation between these different traditionsProvides a balanced overview of longstanding ideas and newer perspectives in the study of epicShows how scholarship over the last forty years has transformed the ways that we conceive of and understand the genreCovers recently introduced topics, such as the role of women, the history of reception, and comparison with living analogues from oral traditionThe editor and contributors are leading scholars in the fieldIncludes a detailed index of poems, poets, technical terms, and important figures and events.