The ancient Greeks created much of what is used, spoken, read, and written today. Without the Greeks and their inventions or developments, life would not be the same today. Literature was one of these many Greek contributions. Literature is still very important to all of us today. Epic poetry, mythology, and the creation of the dramatic genres comedy and tragedy all came from ancient Greece. Much of the literature that influenced the creation of what we write today has been carried forward through time, starting with the ancient Greeks. The best epic poems would no longer exist, the myths we use to know them would no longer exist, and all the hilarious or downright tragic stories, including Shakespeare's, would no longer exist. We have the Greeks to thank for much of the literature that is famous even today. Epic poetry is defined as a long narrative poem that includes details of a heroic event that influences the culture of a civilization. Sometimes, epic poetry is considered oral poetry or as short poems with romantic or mythological themes. Examples of Greek mythological epic poetry are the following: Iliad, Odyssey, attributed to Homer, The Works and Days, Theogony, Catalog of Women, and Shield of Heracles, attributed to Hesiod. Some examples from the 20th century are the Cerulean Odyssey: Voyage of a Long-Distance Traveler. by Gerrit Verstraete, Thaliad by Marly Youmans and Sveta poroka by Vlado Žabot. The most famous examples would be the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Iliad and the Odyssey of ancient Greece, the Old English Beowulf or the Portuguese Lusiads in the Hinilawod of the Philippines. Epic poems have dialogues and scenes change, unlike usual poems. This type of poetry had an oral tradition. The stories were passed down, most likely in the family, from the master to his storyteller student.......middle of paper......they don't exist, along with the funniest films. Next time you have thoughts while watching an epic, mythological, tragic film. Or while reading a classic epic, mythological, tragic novel. The Greeks of thousands of years ago did these things. The gift of literature. Born thousands of years old. Born from the egg of literature. Genres of epic poetry, mythology, tragedy and comedy. Ancient Greek.Works Cited"Epic Literature". About.com Ancient/classical history. Np, nd Web. May 30, 2013."Epic poetry." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 May 2013. Web. 29 May 2013."Greece - Greek literature." About.com Ancient/classical history. Np, nd Web. May 29, 2013."Greek Mythology." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 24, 2013. Web. May 30, 2013."Theatre of Ancient Greece." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 May 2013. Web. 30 May 2013.