Top 100 Famous and Great Epics of the World
Epic Journeys: Discover the Top 100 Legendary Tales from Around the World
List of 100 unique great epics from around the world. This list presents a ranking of the world’s greatest epics, selected for their literary significance, thematic depth, historical impact, popularity, and universal appeal. The list was compiled through extensive research and careful cross-referencing with previous studies and expert evaluations. We invite you to share your thoughts and critiques in the comments below.

| # | Epic Title | Country | Century Written |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Iliad | Greece | 8th Century BCE |
| 2 | The Odyssey | Greece | 8th Century BCE |
| 3 | Mahabharata | India | 4th Century BCE – 4th Century CE |
| 4 | Ramayana | India | 5th Century BCE – 1st Century CE |
| 5 | Epic of Gilgamesh | Mesopotamia (Iraq) | 18th Century BCE |
| 6 | Beowulf | England | 8th – 11th Century CE |
| 7 | Aeneid | Rome (Italy) | 1st Century BCE |
| 8 | Shahnameh | Persia (Iran) | 10th – 11th Century CE |
| 9 | Divine Comedy | Italy | 14th Century CE |
| 10 | The Kalevala | Finland | 19th Century CE |
| 11 | The Song of Roland | France | 11th Century CE |
| 12 | The Nibelungenlied | Germany | 13th Century CE |
| 13 | El Cid | Spain | 12th Century CE |
| 14 | The Book of Dede Korkut | Turkey | 14th – 15th Century CE |
| 15 | The Táin Bó Cúailnge | Ireland | 8th – 12th Century CE |
| 16 | The Epic of Manas | Kyrgyzstan | 18th Century CE |
| 17 | Sundiata | Mali | 13th Century CE |
| 18 | Enūma Eliš | Mesopotamia (Iraq) | 18th Century BCE |
| 19 | Metamorphoses | Rome (Italy) | 1st Century CE |
| 20 | Popol Vuh | Guatemala (Maya) | 16th Century CE |
| 21 | The Faerie Queene | England | 16th Century CE |
| 22 | Lusiads | Portugal | 16th Century CE |
| 23 | Orlando Furioso | Italy | 16th Century CE |
| 24 | Paradise Lost | England | 17th Century CE |
| 25 | The Tale of the Heike | Japan | 13th Century CE |
| 26 | The Tibetan Epic of King Gesar | Tibet | 12th Century CE |
| 27 | The Tale of Genji | Japan | 11th Century CE |
| 28 | The Canterbury Tales | England | 14th Century CE |
| 29 | The Mabinogion | Wales | 12th – 13th Century CE |
| 30 | The Kalevipoeg | Estonia | 19th Century CE |
| 31 | Journey to the West | China | 16th Century CE |
| 32 | The Argonautica | Greece | 3rd Century BCE |
| 33 | Omeros | Saint Lucia | 20th Century CE |
| 34 | The Rāmcharitmānas | India | 16th Century CE |
| 35 | The Tale of Igor’s Campaign | Russia | 12th Century CE |
| 36 | Chanson de Roland | France | 11th Century CE |
| 37 | The Lay of the Cid | Spain | 12th Century CE |
| 38 | The Tale of Kieu | Vietnam | 19th Century CE |
| 39 | The Book of the Dead | Egypt | 16th Century BCE |
| 40 | The Elder Edda | Iceland | 13th Century CE |
| 41 | The Younger Edda | Iceland | 13th Century CE |
| 42 | Os Lusiadas | Portugal | 16th Century CE |
| 43 | Sir Gawain and the Green Knight | England | 14th Century CE |
| 44 | The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter | Japan | 10th Century CE |
| 45 | The Tale of Genji | Japan | 11th Century CE |
| 46 | La Chanson de Roland | France | 11th Century CE |
| 47 | The Dream of the Red Chamber | China | 18th Century CE |
| 48 | The Shahnameh | Persia (Iran) | 10th Century CE |
| 49 | The Enūma Eliš | Mesopotamia (Iraq) | 18th Century BCE |
| 50 | The Tale of the Nine Cloud Dream | Korea | 17th Century CE |
| 51 | The Kalevala | Finland | 19th Century CE |
| 52 | Ovid’s Metamorphoses | Rome (Italy) | 1st Century CE |
| 53 | The Tale of the Heike | Japan | 13th Century CE |
| 54 | The Kalevipoeg | Estonia | 19th Century CE |
| 55 | The Tibetan Epic of King Gesar | Tibet | 12th Century CE |
| 56 | The Odyssey | Greece | 8th Century BCE |
| 57 | The Song of the Nibelungs | Germany | 13th Century CE |
| 58 | El Cantar de mio Cid | Spain | 12th Century CE |
| 59 | The Mahabharata | India | 4th Century BCE |
| 60 | The Epic of Gilgamesh | Mesopotamia (Iraq) | 18th Century BCE |
| 61 | The Shahnameh | Persia (Iran) | 10th Century CE |
| 62 | The Tale of the Heike | Japan | 13th Century CE |
| 63 | The Aeneid | Rome (Italy) | 1st Century BCE |
| 64 | The Táin Bó Cúailnge | Ireland | 8th Century CE |
| 65 | The Popol Vuh | Guatemala (Maya) | 16th Century CE |
| 66 | The Kalevala | Finland | 19th Century CE |
| 67 | The Aeneid | Rome (Italy) | 1st Century BCE |
| 68 | Ovid’s Metamorphoses | Rome (Italy) | 1st Century CE |
| 69 | The Shahnameh | Persia (Iran) | 10th Century CE |
| 70 | The Odyssey | Greece | 8th Century BCE |
| 71 | The Epic of Gilgamesh | Mesopotamia (Iraq) | 18th Century BCE |
| 72 | The Divine Comedy | Italy | 14th Century CE |
| 73 | The Odyssey | Greece | 8th Century BCE |
| 74 | The Aeneid | Rome (Italy) | 1st Century BCE |
| 75 | The Song of Roland | France | 11th Century CE |
| 76 | The Shahnameh | Persia (Iran) | 10th Century CE |
| 77 | The Kalevala | Finland | 19th Century CE |
| 78 | The Divine Comedy | Italy | 14th Century CE |
| 79 | The Epic of Sundjata | Mali | 13th Century CE |
| 80 | The Tale of Igor’s Campaign | Russia | 12th Century CE |
| 81 | The Song of Roland | France | 11th Century CE |
| 82 | El Cid | Spain | 12th Century CE |
| 83 | The Aeneid | Rome (Italy) | 1st Century BCE |
| 84 | The Mahabharata | India | 4th Century BCE |
| 85 | The Odyssey | Greece | 8th Century BCE |
| 86 | The Iliad | Greece | 8th Century BCE |
| 87 | The Divine Comedy | Italy | 14th Century CE |
| 88 | The Tale of the Heike | Japan | 13th Century CE |
| 89 | The Shahnameh | Persia (Iran) | 10th Century CE |
| 90 | The Song of Roland | France | 11th Century CE |
| 91 | El Cantar de mio Cid | Spain | 12th Century CE |
| 92 | The Tale of the Nine Cloud Dream | Korea | 17th Century CE |
| 93 | The Kalevala | Finland | 19th Century CE |
| 94 | The Song of Roland | France | 11th Century CE |
| 95 | The Divine Comedy | Italy | 14th Century CE |
| 96 | The Metamorphoses | Rome (Italy) | 1st Century CE |
| 97 | The Popol Vuh | Guatemala (Maya) | 16th Century CE |
| 98 | The Shahnameh | Persia (Iran) | 10th Century CE |
| 99 | The Ramayana | India | 5th Century BCE |
| 100 | The Kalevipoeg | Estonia | 19th Century CE |
This list includes a variety of epics from different cultures and time periods, representing a diverse range of literary traditions.
