Epic Cycle
Ancient Greek epic poems composed in dactylic hexameter formed a collection known as the Epic Cycle. This group included works such as the Cypria, the Aethiopis, and the Little Iliad alongside the Telegony. Scholars sometimes include Homer's Iliad and Odyssey within this circle of poems. However, modern usage typically reserves the term for non-Homeric epics to distinguish them from the Homeric masterpieces. The traditional material draws upon Mycenaean Bronze Age culture but views it through the lens of Iron Age Greece. Localized hero cults likely fueled the oral tradition that developed during the Greek Dark Age.
The cyclic epics survive only in fragments and summaries dating back to Late Antiquity and the Byzantine period. Most knowledge comes from a broken summary found in the preface to the 10th century Venetus A manuscript of the Iliad. This preface is damaged and missing the section on the Cypria. Scholars must supplement these gaps using other manuscripts that preserve individual summaries like the Cypria alone. The surviving text serves as an excerpt from a longer work called Chrestomathy written by a figure named Proclus. Evidence provided by the 9th-century scholar Photius confirms the Venetus A excerpt derives from this same source. Proclus remains an otherwise unknown figure distinct from the philosopher Proclus Diadochus.
The Cypria covered events leading up to the Trojan War and the first nine years of conflict including the Judgement of Paris. Five books of the Aethiopis described the arrival of Penthesileia the Amazon and Memnon before their deaths at Achilles' hands. The Little Iliad narrated events after Achilles' death such as the building of the Trojan Horse and the Awarding of the Arms to Odysseus. Two books of the Iliupersis detailed the destruction of Troy by the Greeks. Five books of the Nostoi chronicled the return home of the Greek force concluding with Agamemnon and Menelaus. Eugammon's Telegony followed Odysseus' voyage to Thesprotia and his demise at the hands of his illegitimate son Telegonus.
Neoanalysis theories analyze whether Homer or cyclic poets influenced one another chronologically. Some Neoanalyst scholars operate on the premise that Homeric epics were later than cyclic ones and drew on them extensively. Other Neoanalysts make the milder claim that Homeric epics draw on legendary material which later crystallized into the Epic Cycle. Proclus suggests plots of non-Homeric epics look designed to integrate with Homer without overlaps. Contradictions exist between epics regarding who killed Hector's son Astyanax in the fall of Troy. Neoptolemus is named in the Little Iliad while Odysseus appears in the Iliou persis. Editing or stitching likely occurred to combine these eight epics into a single collection during the Hellenistic period.
Herodotus knew of the Cypria and Epigoni when he wrote his History in the mid-5th century BCE. He rejected Homeric authorship for the former and questioned it for the latter. The Epic Cycle was not mentioned as a whole until the 2nd century CE though knowledge of a Trojan cycle appeared by the 4th century BCE. Aristoxenus mentions an alternative opening to the Iliad from this earlier era. Aristotle criticized the Cypria and Little Iliad for their piecemeal character in his Poetics. Later sources like Virgil's Aeneid recount the sack of Troy from a Trojan perspective. Ovid's Metamorphoses describes Greeks landing at Troy and the judgment of Achilles' arms. Quintus of Smyrna's Posthomerica narrates events after Hector's death up until the end of the war.
Up Next
Common questions
What is the Epic Cycle?
The Epic Cycle refers to a collection of ancient Greek epic poems composed in dactylic hexameter that cover the history of the Trojan War. This group includes works such as the Cypria, the Aethiopis, the Little Iliad, and the Telegony alongside non-Homeric epics.
How do scholars know about the Epic Cycle today?
Most knowledge comes from a broken summary found in the preface to the 10th century Venetus A manuscript of the Iliad. Scholars supplement these gaps using other manuscripts that preserve individual summaries like the Cypria alone and evidence provided by the 9th-century scholar Photius confirms the source derives from Chrestomathy written by Proclus.
Which specific poems make up the Epic Cycle?
The cycle contains five books of the Aethiopis describing Penthesileia and Memnon, two books of the Iliupersis detailing the destruction of Troy, and five books of the Nostoi chronicling the return home of the Greek force. Eugammon's Telegony follows Odysseus' voyage to Thesprotia and his demise at the hands of his illegitimate son Telegonus.
When was the Epic Cycle mentioned as a whole for the first time?
The Epic Cycle was not mentioned as a whole until the 2nd century CE though knowledge of a Trojan cycle appeared by the 4th century BCE. Herodotus knew of the Cypria and Epigoni when he wrote his History in the mid-5th century BCE but rejected Homeric authorship for the former.
How did Neoanalysis theories interpret the relationship between Homer and cyclic poets?
Some Neoanalyst scholars operate on the premise that Homeric epics were later than cyclic ones and drew on them extensively while others claim Homeric epics draw on legendary material which later crystallized into the Epic Cycle. Proclus suggests plots of non-Homeric epics look designed to integrate with Homer without overlaps.