The Ancient Greeks created much of what is used, spoken, read, and written today. Without the Greeks and their inventions or developments, life today would not be the same. 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 genres of drama, comedy and tragedy, all come from ancient Greece. Much of the literature that has influenced the creation of what we write today has passed through time, beginning 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 absolutely tragic stories, including Shakespeare's, would no longer exist. We owe to the Greeks much of the literature still famous today. Epic poetry is defined as a long narrative poem including the details of a heroic event that affects the culture of a civilization. Sometimes epic poetry is considered oral poetry or short poems with a theme of romance or mythology. Examples of Greek mythological epic poetry include: Iliad, Odyssey, attributed to Homer, Works and Days, Theogony, Catalog of Women, and Shield of Heracles, attributed to Hesiod. Some examples from the 20th century are Cerulean Odyssey: Journey of a Long Distance Voyager. by Gerrit Verstraete, Thaliad by Marly Youmans and Sveta poroka by Vlado Žabot. The most famous examples would be the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the ancient Greek Iliad and Odyssey, the Old English Beowulf or the Portuguese Lusiads of the Philippines Hinilawod. 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 a family, from the master to his student storyteller....... middle of paper ......does not exist, as do the funniest films. The next time thoughts arise while watching an epic, mythological and tragic film. Or by reading a classic epic, mythological and tragic novel. The Greeks made these things thousands of years ago. The gift of literature. Born several thousand years old. Hatched 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, and Web. May 30, 2013. “Epic poetry.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 28, 2013. Web. May 29, 2013. “Greece – Greek Literature. » About.com Ancient/classical history. Np, and Web. May 29, 2013. “Greek Mythology.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 24, 2013. Web. May 30, 2013. “Ancient Greek Theater.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 30, 2013. Web. May 30 2013.