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 TitleCountryCentury Written
1The IliadGreece8th Century BCE
2The OdysseyGreece8th Century BCE
3MahabharataIndia4th Century BCE – 4th Century CE
4RamayanaIndia5th Century BCE – 1st Century CE
5Epic of GilgameshMesopotamia (Iraq)18th Century BCE
6BeowulfEngland8th – 11th Century CE
7AeneidRome (Italy)1st Century BCE
8ShahnamehPersia (Iran)10th – 11th Century CE
9Divine ComedyItaly14th Century CE
10The KalevalaFinland19th Century CE
11The Song of RolandFrance11th Century CE
12The NibelungenliedGermany13th Century CE
13El CidSpain12th Century CE
14The Book of Dede KorkutTurkey14th – 15th Century CE
15The Táin Bó CúailngeIreland8th – 12th Century CE
16The Epic of ManasKyrgyzstan18th Century CE
17SundiataMali13th Century CE
18Enūma ElišMesopotamia (Iraq)18th Century BCE
19MetamorphosesRome (Italy)1st Century CE
20Popol VuhGuatemala (Maya)16th Century CE
21The Faerie QueeneEngland16th Century CE
22LusiadsPortugal16th Century CE
23Orlando FuriosoItaly16th Century CE
24Paradise LostEngland17th Century CE
25The Tale of the HeikeJapan13th Century CE
26The Tibetan Epic of King GesarTibet12th Century CE
27The Tale of GenjiJapan11th Century CE
28The Canterbury TalesEngland14th Century CE
29The MabinogionWales12th – 13th Century CE
30The KalevipoegEstonia19th Century CE
31Journey to the WestChina16th Century CE
32The ArgonauticaGreece3rd Century BCE
33OmerosSaint Lucia20th Century CE
34The RāmcharitmānasIndia16th Century CE
35The Tale of Igor’s CampaignRussia12th Century CE
36Chanson de RolandFrance11th Century CE
37The Lay of the CidSpain12th Century CE
38The Tale of KieuVietnam19th Century CE
39The Book of the DeadEgypt16th Century BCE
40The Elder EddaIceland13th Century CE
41The Younger EddaIceland13th Century CE
42Os LusiadasPortugal16th Century CE
43Sir Gawain and the Green KnightEngland14th Century CE
44The Tale of the Bamboo CutterJapan10th Century CE
45The Tale of GenjiJapan11th Century CE
46La Chanson de RolandFrance11th Century CE
47The Dream of the Red ChamberChina18th Century CE
48The ShahnamehPersia (Iran)10th Century CE
49The Enūma ElišMesopotamia (Iraq)18th Century BCE
50The Tale of the Nine Cloud DreamKorea17th Century CE
51The KalevalaFinland19th Century CE
52Ovid’s MetamorphosesRome (Italy)1st Century CE
53The Tale of the HeikeJapan13th Century CE
54The KalevipoegEstonia19th Century CE
55The Tibetan Epic of King GesarTibet12th Century CE
56The OdysseyGreece8th Century BCE
57The Song of the NibelungsGermany13th Century CE
58El Cantar de mio CidSpain12th Century CE
59The MahabharataIndia4th Century BCE
60The Epic of GilgameshMesopotamia (Iraq)18th Century BCE
61The ShahnamehPersia (Iran)10th Century CE
62The Tale of the HeikeJapan13th Century CE
63The AeneidRome (Italy)1st Century BCE
64The Táin Bó CúailngeIreland8th Century CE
65The Popol VuhGuatemala (Maya)16th Century CE
66The KalevalaFinland19th Century CE
67The AeneidRome (Italy)1st Century BCE
68Ovid’s MetamorphosesRome (Italy)1st Century CE
69The ShahnamehPersia (Iran)10th Century CE
70The OdysseyGreece8th Century BCE
71The Epic of GilgameshMesopotamia (Iraq)18th Century BCE
72The Divine ComedyItaly14th Century CE
73The OdysseyGreece8th Century BCE
74The AeneidRome (Italy)1st Century BCE
75The Song of RolandFrance11th Century CE
76The ShahnamehPersia (Iran)10th Century CE
77The KalevalaFinland19th Century CE
78The Divine ComedyItaly14th Century CE
79The Epic of SundjataMali13th Century CE
80The Tale of Igor’s CampaignRussia12th Century CE
81The Song of RolandFrance11th Century CE
82El CidSpain12th Century CE
83The AeneidRome (Italy)1st Century BCE
84The MahabharataIndia4th Century BCE
85The OdysseyGreece8th Century BCE
86The IliadGreece8th Century BCE
87The Divine ComedyItaly14th Century CE
88The Tale of the HeikeJapan13th Century CE
89The ShahnamehPersia (Iran)10th Century CE
90The Song of RolandFrance11th Century CE
91El Cantar de mio CidSpain12th Century CE
92The Tale of the Nine Cloud DreamKorea17th Century CE
93The KalevalaFinland19th Century CE
94The Song of RolandFrance11th Century CE
95The Divine ComedyItaly14th Century CE
96The MetamorphosesRome (Italy)1st Century CE
97The Popol VuhGuatemala (Maya)16th Century CE
98The ShahnamehPersia (Iran)10th Century CE
99The RamayanaIndia5th Century BCE
100The KalevipoegEstonia19th Century CE

This list includes a variety of epics from different cultures and time periods, representing a diverse range of literary traditions.

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