epic or epic poem é a constituted literary genreof long verses that tell stories of a people or a nation, involving adventures, wars, travels, heroic gestures, etc. They usually have a tone of exaltation, that is, of appreciation for their heroes and their achievements. Epic meaning “epic poem” comes from the Greek word “epopoiia” (“epos” = “heroic verse” + “poiein” = “to do”).
The epic is the oldest of the literary manifestations, in it there is the presence of a narrator who tells the past history of others. Verbs and pronouns are almost always in the 3rd person. Furthermore, epic texts presuppose the presence of a listener or an audience, who would be listening to the narrator. The epic perpetuates ancestral legends and traditions that have been preserved through time by oral tradition.
The main epics of Western culture are “The Iliad” and “Odyssey”, attributed to the Greek poet Homer, “Eneida”, by the Latin poet Virgílio and “Os Lusíadas”, by the Portuguese Luís de Camões. The Iliad revolves around the Trojan War and the warriors Achilles and Ulysses. The Odyssey chronicles the adventures of the hero Ulysses, on his way home from the Trojan War. The Aeneid tells the saga of Aeneas, a Trojan who is saved from the Greeks at Troy. Os Lusíadas, an epic poem that celebrates Portugal's maritime and warrior feats.
In Brazil, several poems followed the epic style, mainly that of Camões. The most important are “Caramuru”, by Santa Rita Durão, and “O Uruguai”, by Basílio da Gama.
Certain films are also called epics in which the theme portrays adventures and wars that define the history of a people. Films such as “Bem Hur” (1959), “1900” (1976), “Gladiator” (2000), “The Lord of the Rings” (trilogy 2001, 2002, 2003), among others, are considered epic.