The history of the epic

"The history of the epic is a long and complex one - more than two thousand years old. It is still alive today in literature and film. Shaped by centuries of composition and reception, the genre has become increasingly challenging to define. Nevertheless, its gods and heroes have continued to inspire and excite. This book charts the development of this elusive and popular form, in a history of changing attitudes to heroism, nationhood, religion and the self. It is grounded in contemporary genre theory and takes stock of the very latest developments in the genre. While it acknowledges the difficulties in defining the genre, the book offers a chronicle of the epic's evolution from antiquity to the present day. Dealing not just with classical and Renaissance epics, it also explores the directions taken by the epic in the modern era, ending with a discussion of epic film."--Jacket.