John Miles Foley is the Curators’ and Byler Professor of Classical Studies and English at the University of Missouri. He is the founder and Director of the Center for Studies in Oral Tradition. He is the author of The Theory of Oral Composition (1988), The Singer of Tales in Performance (1995), Homer’s Traditional Art (1999), and How to Read an Oral Poem (2002).

• List of Figures ixNotes on Contributors xAcknowledgments xviAbbreviations of Ancient Authors and Works xviiAbbreviations of Modern Reference Works xxiiiMap: The ancient epic territories xxvIntroduction 1John Miles FoleyPart I Issues and Perspectives 71 Epic as Genre 9Richard P. Martin2 The Indo-European Context 20Joshua T. Katz3 Epic and Myth 31Lowell Edmunds4 Performance 45Minna Skafte Jensen5 Epic and History 55Kurt A. Raaflaub6 The Epic Hero 71Gregory Nagy7 The Gods in Epic, or the Divine Economy 90Bruce Louden8 Women in Ancient Epic 105Helene P. Foley9 Archaeological Contexts 119Susan Sherratt10 The Physical Media: Tablet, Scroll, Codex 142Michael W. Haslam11 Ancient Reception 164Robert Lamberton12 Translating Ancient Epic 174Richard Hamilton Armstrong13 Analogues: Modern Oral Epics 196John Miles FoleyPart II Near Eastern Epic 21314 Comparative Observations on the Near Eastern Epic Traditions 215Jack M. Sasson15 Mesopotamian Epic 233Scott B. Noegel16 Epic in Ugaritic Literature 246N. Wyatt17 Hittite and Hurrian Epic 255Gary Beckman18 Persian/Iranian Epic 264Olga M. Davidson19 The Challenge of Israelite Epic 277Susan NiditchPart III Ancient Greek Epic 28920 Near Eastern Connections 291Walter Burkert21 Homer’s Iliad 302Mark W. Edwards22 Homer’s Odyssey 315Laura M. Slatkin23 Hesiod 330Stephanie Nelson24 The Epic Cycle and Fragments 344Jonathan S. Burgess25 Apollonius of Rhodes 353D. P. Nelis26 Quintus of Smyrna 364Alan James27 Nonnus 374Robert Shorrock28 Epic and Other Genres in the Ancient Greek World 386R. Scott Garner29 Homer’s Post-classical Legacy 397Casey DuéPart IV Roman Epic 41530 The Origins and Essence of Roman Epic 417Joseph Farrell31 Early Republican Epic 429Sander M. Goldberg32 Lucretius 440Monica R. Gale33 Virgil’s Aeneid 452Michael C. J. Putnam34 Ovid 476Carole E. Newlands35 Lucan 492Shadi Bartsch36 Valerius Flaccus 503Andrew Zissos37 Statius 514William J. Dominik38 Silius Italicus 528Raymond D. Marks39 Claudian 538Michael H. Barnes40 Latin Christian Epics of Late Antiquity 550Dennis E. Trout41 Epic and Other Genres in the Roman World 562R. Jenkyns42 Virgil’s Post-classical Legacy 574Craig KallendorfBibliography 589Index 651

"For those who are interested in Greek and Roman epic, the book is a treasure-house of splendid variety.... The editor and the publisher both deserve praise for a very fine volume." (Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society) "Blackwell's Companion to Ancient Epic does just what the title suggests: it accompanies readers on journeys of exploration in this huge (in every sense) field. Just as importantly, the Companion will show new readers why they might want to immerse themselves in these poems.... The many highlights in this Companion demonstrate the value of asking scholars to write for non-specialists. That endeavor provides a stimulus for new levels of focus and clarity; even ideas and materials that may be familiar become fresh again when they are presented in such succinct distillations." (Bryn Mawr Classical Review)