epic

A heroic poem; a long narrative of wars and adventures where larger-than-life characters perform deeds of great public and national significance. The earlier epic poems, in the oral tradition, reach back into myth and legend, where men and gods moved on the same scene; among these are the Sumerian epic Gilgamesh (c.3000 BC), the Homeric epics Iliad and Odyssey (c.1000 BC), and the Indian Mahabharata and Ramayana (c.500 BC): also the N European epics such as the Old English Beowulf (8th-c) and the 13th-c German Nibelungenlied. The term secondary epic refers to works written in conscious imitation of these primary epic models, such as Virgil's Aeneid (30–19 BC), Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata (1581), and Milton's Paradise Lost (1667). The poetic and mythological aspects are generally missing when modern works are described as ‘epic’. The novel has been presented as an ‘epic poem in prose’, and some works of significant scale such as Melville's Moby Dick (1851) and Tolstoy's War and Peace (1863–9) may be so described. Brecht also proposed an ‘epic theatre’. Although some films have achieved epic status, the form and the term have generally been travestied in the cinema.

Epic (book), a book by Conor Kostick Epic (film), Australian animated film (1985)

In music:

Epic Records, a record label Epic metal, a type of heavy metal music Epic Trance, a subgenre of melodic trance "Epic" (song), a popular single by the rock band Faith No More Epic Mazur, an American rapper

In gaming:

Epic (game), a series of wargames Epic Games, a computer game developer

In comics:

Epic Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics Epic Illustrated, an anthology series published by Marvel Comics

Epic can also refer to:

Epic Skate Park, one of the largest indoor skateboard parks in the UK Epic 2015, short flash animation, set in 2015, about the future of the media and information Epic Age, a time period in Indian history Epimorphism, epic morphism, in mathematics Epic Systems Corporation, a healthcare software company