Greatest Ancient Epics

1.
The Odyssey
The Odyssey
by: Homer
3.82 avg rating — 1,156,689 ratings
2.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Epic of Gilgamesh
by: Anonymous
3.75 avg rating — 114,184 ratings
3.
The Iliad
The Iliad
by: Homer
3.92 avg rating — 494,687 ratings
4.
Beowulf
Beowulf
by: Unknown
3.50 avg rating — 338,039 ratings
5.
The Arabian Nights
The Arabian Nights
by: Anonymous
4.03 avg rating — 80,397 ratings
6.
Antigone - Oedipus the King - Electra
Antigone - Oedipus the King - Electra
by: Sophocles
3.95 avg rating — 16,393 ratings
7.
The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology
The Prose Edda: Norse Mythology 4.15 avg rating — 15,390 ratings
8.
Medea
Medea
by: Euripides
3.95 avg rating — 84,383 ratings
9.
The Oresteia: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides
The Oresteia: Agamemnon, The Libation Bearers, The Eumenides
by: Aeschylus
4.02 avg rating — 45,636 ratings
10.
The Mabinogion
The Mabinogion
by: Unknown
3.93 avg rating — 8,432 ratings
11.
The Saga of the Volsungs
The Saga of the Volsungs
by: Anonymous
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6,855 ratings
12.
Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1)
Oedipus Rex (The Theban Plays, #1)
by: Sophocles
3.72 avg rating — 232,013 ratings
13.
The Aeneid
The Aeneid
by: Virgil
3.87 avg rating — 139,141 ratings
14.
Antigone (The Theban Plays, #3)
Antigone (The Theban Plays, #3)
by: Sophocles
3.68 avg rating — 170,468 ratings
15.
Jason and the Golden Fleece
Jason and the Golden Fleece 3.83 avg rating — 11,059 ratings
16.
Arthurian Romances
Arthurian Romances 3.95 avg rating — 9,036 ratings
17.
The Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita 4.19 avg rating — 78,225 ratings
17.
Mahabharata
Mahabharata
by: Anonymous
4.32 avg rating — 11,794 ratings
19.
Electra
Electra
by: Sophocles
3.82 avg rating — 13,851 ratings
20.
Njal's Saga
Njal's Saga
by: Anonymous
3.94 avg rating — 5,366 ratings
21.
The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes
The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes 4.26 avg rating — 11,712 ratings
22.
German Epic Poetry
German Epic Poetry 4.07 avg rating — 44 ratings
23.
The Sagas of Icelanders
The Sagas of Icelanders 4.31 avg rating — 4,177 ratings
24.
The Faerie Queene
The Faerie Queene 3.58 avg rating — 17,146 ratings
25.
Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table
Le Morte d'Arthur: King Arthur and the Legends of the Round Table 3.92 avg rating — 38,981 ratings
26.
The Nibelungenlied
The Nibelungenlied
by: Unknown
3.82 avg rating — 8,697 ratings
27.
Finn and Hengest: The Fragment and the Episode
Finn and Hengest: The Fragment and the Episode 4.01 avg rating — 381 ratings
28.
Ramayana
Ramayana
by: Vālmīki
4.19 avg rating — 5,258 ratings
29.
Prometheus Bound
Prometheus Bound
by: Aeschylus
3.93 avg rating — 20,796 ratings
30.
Homeric Hymns
Homeric Hymns
by: Homer
4.05 avg rating — 6,435 ratings
31.
Electra
Electra
by: Euripides
3.95 avg rating — 8,154 ratings
32.
Iphigenia in Aulis (Plays for Performance Series)
Iphigenia in Aulis (Plays for Performance Series)
by: Euripides
4.02 avg rating — 6,068 ratings
33.
The Táin: From the Irish Epic Táin Bó Cúailnge
The Táin: From the Irish Epic Táin Bó Cúailnge
by: Anonymous
3.95 avg rating — 4,886 ratings
34.
The Song of Roland
The Song of Roland
by: Unknown
3.50 avg rating — 18,741 ratings
35.
A Treasury of Irish Myth, Legend and Folklore
A Treasury of Irish Myth, Legend and Folklore 4.17 avg rating — 1,431 ratings
36.
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
by: Unknown
3.76 avg rating — 75,123 ratings
37.
The History of the Kings of Britain
The History of the Kings of Britain 3.72 avg rating — 6,789 ratings
38.
The Book of Dede Korkut: A Turkish Epic
The Book of Dede Korkut: A Turkish Epic
by: Anonymous
3.91 avg rating — 1,525 ratings
39.
Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings
Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings 4.51 avg rating — 5,517 ratings
40.
The Tale of the Heike
The Tale of the Heike
by: Anonymous
4.05 avg rating — 1,547 ratings
41.
The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok
The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok 3.85 avg rating — 1,547 ratings
42.
The Seven Against Thebes
The Seven Against Thebes
by: Aeschylus
3.73 avg rating — 3,771 ratings
43.
Orestes
Orestes
by: Euripides
3.94 avg rating — 2,313 ratings
44.
Beowulf and the Fight at Finnsburgh
Beowulf and the Fight at Finnsburgh
by: Unknown
3.87 avg rating — 3,295 ratings
45.
The Song of Roland
The Song of Roland
by: Unknown
3.50 avg rating — 18,741 ratings
46.
Complete Irish Mythology
Complete Irish Mythology 4.13 avg rating — 261 ratings
47.
The Quest of the Holy Grail
The Quest of the Holy Grail
by: Unknown
3.90 avg rating — 2,243 ratings
48.
The poems of the Pearl manuscript: Pearl, Cleanness, Patience, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
The poems of the Pearl manuscript: Pearl, Cleanness, Patience, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
by: Unknown
4.08 avg rating — 5,737 ratings
49.
The Battle of Maldon
The Battle of Maldon
by: Anonymous
3.66 avg rating — 471 ratings
50.
Beowulf and Its Analogues
Beowulf and Its Analogues 4.37 avg rating — 19 ratings
51.
Parzival & Titurel
Parzival & Titurel 3.66 avg rating — 136 ratings
52.
Brut
Brut
by: Layamon
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 51 ratings
53.
Heroes of the French Epic: A Selection of Chansons de Geste
Heroes of the French Epic: A Selection of Chansons de Geste it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings
54.
The Baal Cycle
The Baal Cycle 3.93 avg rating — 15 ratings
54.
Feather of Hawk - Rebellion: Epic historical fiction based on a true story.
Feather of Hawk - Rebellion: Epic historical fiction based on a true story. 3.85 avg rating — 34 ratings
54.
Big Cranky Fall into Darkness
Big Cranky Fall into Darkness 4.60 avg rating — 5 ratings
57.
Syrian Brides
Syrian Brides 4.21 avg rating — 248 ratings
58.
The Agricola and The Germania
The Agricola and The Germania
by: Tacitus
3.97 avg rating — 5,966 ratings
59.
The Old English Epic of Waldere
The Old English Epic of Waldere 4.67 avg rating — 6 ratings
60.
Widsith
Widsith 3.85 avg rating — 20 ratings
61.
Annotated English Translation of the Old Saxon Heliand: A Ninth-Century Biblical Paraphrase in the Germanic Epic Style
Annotated English Translation of the Old Saxon Heliand: A Ninth-Century Biblical Paraphrase in the Germanic Epic Style really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating
62.
Kudrun (Medieval Texts & Translations, 1)
Kudrun (Medieval Texts & Translations, 1) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings
63.
Ortnit and Wolfdietrich: Two Medieval Romances (Studies in German Literature, Linguistics, & Culture)
Ortnit and Wolfdietrich: Two Medieval Romances (Studies in German Literature, Linguistics, & Culture) 4.33 avg rating — 12 ratings
64.
König Rother. King Rother.
König Rother. King Rother. liked it 3.00 avg rating — 4 ratings
65.
Walter of Aquitaine: Materials for the Study of His Legend (Connecticut College Monographs, #4)
Walter of Aquitaine: Materials for the Study of His Legend (Connecticut College Monographs, #4) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings
66.
Waltharius & Ruodlieb
Waltharius & Ruodlieb 4.29 avg rating — 14 ratings
67.
Gautrek's Saga
Gautrek's Saga 3.94 avg rating — 16 ratings
68.
Karlamagnús Saga: The Saga of Charlemagne and his Heroes
Karlamagnús Saga: The Saga of Charlemagne and his Heroes it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings
69.
The Saga of Thidrek of Bern
The Saga of Thidrek of Bern really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 17 ratings
69.
Argonautica (Loeb Classical Library No. 286)
Argonautica (Loeb Classical Library No. 286) 3.59 avg rating — 86 ratings
71.
The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise
The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise 4.29 avg rating — 79 ratings
72.
Göngu Hrolfs Saga
Göngu Hrolfs Saga really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 11 ratings
73.
The Sagas of King Half and King Hrolf
The Sagas of King Half and King Hrolf really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 10 ratings
74.
Legends of the Ring
Legends of the Ring 4.21 avg rating — 14 ratings
74.
Laxdæla Saga
Laxdæla Saga
by: Unknown
3.97 avg rating — 1,365 ratings
76.
Das Lied vom hürnen Seyfrid: Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes
Das Lied vom hürnen Seyfrid: Critical Edition with Introduction and Notes 3.71 avg rating — 7 ratings
77.
The Danish History
The Danish History 3.78 avg rating — 135 ratings
78.
Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the Englynion
Early Welsh Saga Poetry: A Study and Edition of the Englynion 4.17 avg rating — 12 ratings
78.
Amleth Prince Of Denmark
Amleth Prince Of Denmark 3.52 avg rating — 113 ratings
80.
Taliesin Poems
Taliesin Poems
by: Taliesin
really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 15 ratings
81.
The Gododdin: the oldest Scottish poem
The Gododdin: the oldest Scottish poem
by: Aneirin
4.22 avg rating — 372 ratings
81.
The earliest English poetry;: A critical survey of the poetry written before the Norman Conquest, with illustrative translations,
The earliest English poetry;: A critical survey of the poetry written before the Norman Conquest, with illustrative translations, 4.67 avg rating — 3 ratings
83.
The Celtic Heroic Age: Literary Sources for Ancient Celtic Europe and Early Ireland and Wales
The Celtic Heroic Age: Literary Sources for Ancient Celtic Europe and Early Ireland and Wales 4.30 avg rating — 143 ratings
84.
Ancient Irish Tales
Ancient Irish Tales 4.09 avg rating — 81 ratings
84.
Arthur King of Britain History Chronicle
Arthur King of Britain History Chronicle 3.57 avg rating — 21 ratings
86.
Gods and Fighting Men: The Story of the Tuatha De Danaan and the Fianna of Ireland
Gods and Fighting Men: The Story of the Tuatha De Danaan and the Fianna of Ireland 4.02 avg rating — 632 ratings
86.
First Middle English Primer: Extracts from the Ancren Riwle and Ormulum with grammar and glossary
First Middle English Primer: Extracts from the Ancren Riwle and Ormulum with grammar and glossary really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings
88.
Priest Konrad's Song of Roland (Studies in German Literature Linguistics and Culture, 1)
Priest Konrad's Song of Roland (Studies in German Literature Linguistics and Culture, 1)
by: Unknown
3.50 avg rating — 18,741 ratings
89.
History Of Charles The Great And Orlando: An Old Source Of Charlemagne Romance
History Of Charles The Great And Orlando: An Old Source Of Charlemagne Romance 4.50 avg rating — 2 ratings
90.
William Count of Orange 4 Old French Ep
William Count of Orange 4 Old French Ep really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 6 ratings
91.
King Arthur's Death: The Middle English Stanzaic Morte Arthur and Alliterative Morte Arthure
King Arthur's Death: The Middle English Stanzaic Morte Arthur and Alliterative Morte Arthure 3.83 avg rating — 220 ratings
92.
The Awntyrs off Arthure at the Terne Wathelyne: A Critical Edition
The Awntyrs off Arthure at the Terne Wathelyne: A Critical Edition 3.93 avg rating — 28 ratings
92.
Romans de la Table Ronde
Romans de la Table Ronde 3.95 avg rating — 9,036 ratings
94.
Finnsburh Fragment and Episode
Finnsburh Fragment and Episode it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating
95.
Deor
Deor 4.30 avg rating — 27 ratings
96.
Erec
Erec 3.32 avg rating — 621 ratings
97.
Iwein
Iwein 3.53 avg rating — 571 ratings