Ancient Epic, by Katherine Callen King

If you already enjoy the Classical epics, you should read this to challenge your assumptions. If you aren't familiar with Classical epic, you should read this to learn about the topic. Ancient Epic straddles beautifully the need to provide value for people who have already read the epics and the needs of a reader unacquainted with the genre. The price tag may be a sticking point.

Ancient Epic, by Katherine Callen King, is part of Wiley-Blackwell's Introductions to the Classical World. The series tackles enormous topics (brilliantly, from what I've seen) in volumes of only around 200 pages.

King analyzes the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is the first poetic epic, The Iliad and The Odyssey, The Argonautica, The Aeneid, and Ovid's Metmorphoses, a kind of anti-epic. Throughout the Roman chapters, of which there are three, since there is an introductory one that covers the history of Roman literature and history, as well as introducing Latin epic poetry, there is a sense that Latin epic was written very carefully in order to avoid condemnation by Octavian/Augustus. The introductory chapter on Greek epic introduces the conventions of epic and the epic cycle.

Almost every page of Ancient Epic makes a valuable connection or shows expert insight. It is because of the contrasts with far nobler characters that Agamemnon and Jason seem so petty. In The Iliad, Agamemnon is king of men, but Achilles is godlike. Achilles excels, but Agamemnon, gifted with political power, abuses this power, causing substantial loss of life. Apollonius of Rhodes' Argonautica, the story of Jason and the Quest for the Golden Fleece, a story of the first Greek sea voyage to Asia, is about many men, several of whom are stronger, better men than Jason. Jason does not have a god for a father, unlike several of his superhero companions. Instead of heroic self-reliance, Jason keeps asking for help.

The notes at the end include a glossary of terms used in epic, and a chart of Olympian gods and their Akkadian counterparts. Between each chapter there are notes, material for further reading, interpretations/commentaries, and translations/adaptations, which show the relevance of the epics for the modern world without detracting from the ancient world focus.

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