EUROPEAN WPS Office

O P EA N
EUR RE
I T ERA T U
L
INTRODUCTION
European literature includes literature in many languages; among the
most important of the modern written works are those in English,
Spanish, French, Dutch, Polish, German, Italian, Modern Greek, Czech
and Russian and works by the Scandinavians and Irish. Important
classical and medieval traditions are those in Ancient Greek, Latin, Old
Norse, Medieval French and the Italian Tuscan dialect of the
renaissance.
The birth of the European Literature can be traced back to circa 750
BC. It was the time when two significant literary works were
developed. It was preserved, transformed, and spread by Christianity
and thus transmitted to the vernacular languages of the European
Continent, the Western Hemisphere, and other region that were
settled by Europeans.
DIFFERENT LITERATURE
•LITERATURE OF GREECE
Greek literature includes all works created from about 2000 BC to

the present by authors who were born in Greece or in other
countries that were heavily influenced by Greek culture.
•LITERATURE OF ROME
One of the most enduring legacies of ancient Rome's culture is the

Latin-language Roman literature. Historical epics narrating Rome's
early military history are among the oldest existing works. As the
Republic grew, poetry, comedies, histories, and tragedies were
added.
LITERATURE OF GREECE
The Homeric Age(12th & 8th Century BC)

Also known as the Heroic Period, named after the
poem attributed to Homer, the Iliad and the
Odyssey, which gives us the image of Greek Middle
Ages. Homer used the Greek alphabet to set down
the oral poems and created a new literary
language, which greatly stimulated the growth of
Hellenic Culture.
ILIAD
•The word Iliad refers to the archaic name for the ancient city of
Troy: Ilion or Ilios. Simply, Iliad means “Song/Poem of Ilion.”
•The Iliad is an epic poem in 24 books that is traditionally attributed
to the ancient Greek poet Homer. The epic is about the wrath of the
Greek hero Achilles.
•The subject of this poem is the Trojan War.
ODYSSEY
Odysseus, hero of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey and one of
the most frequently portrayed figures in Western Literature
The Attic Age
This is the period of emergence of excellent
playwrights like Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides
and Aristophanes. Great historians like Herodotus
and Thucydides; and Philosophers like Amagoras
and Socrates. This period was the most glorious in
ancient history that revolves around great political
leader in the person of Pericles. It is also known as
Periclean Age.
Famous Playwrights
Aeschylus
✓ An ancient Greek
tragedian often describe as
the father of tragedy.
✓ An ancient Greek
playwright was killed at the
age of 67, when an eagle
dropped a tortoise on his
head. The eagle is said to
have mistaken his baldness
for a rock and tried to use it
to crack the shell of its prey.
Sophocles
✓One of the three great Greek
tragedians. Of his 8th plays
(seven full, one fragmented) that
remain today, his most famous is
Oedipus the King. Sophocles is
thought to have written over one
hundred plays, but only seven
fully survived today.
✓ He scored the most wins in
dramatic competition, and won
the most important dramatic
festival, the City Dionysia, an
unmatched 18 times.
Euripides
✓ Was a tragedian of classical
Athens. Along with Aeschylus
and Sophocles, he is one of
the three ancient Greek
tragedians for whom any
plays have survive in full. ✓
He is one of the best known
and most influential
dramatists in classical Greek
culture of his 90 plays, 19
have survived.
Aristophanes
✓ An Athenian, he began his
career as a comic dramatist in
427. He wrote approximately
40 plays, of which 11 survive.
✓ Often referred to as the
father of comedy, wrote the
worlds earliest surviving comic
dramas.
✓ His plays were known for
their satire and mockery of
politicians and intellectuals of
the time.
✓ His most famous play is
probably The Birds.
The Hellenistic or Alexandrian Age
During this period sculpture became more naturalistic,
and also expressive. On top of anatomical realism, the
Hellenistic artist seeks to represent the character of his
subject, including themes such as suffering, sleep or old
age. This period lasted 300 years and is characterized by
innovation, globalization and cultural connectivity
through a common language and standardized
education.
LITERATURE OF
ROME
One of the most enduring legacies of ancient
Rome's culture is the Latin-language Roman
literature. Historical epics narrating Rome's early
military history are among the oldest existing
works. As the Republic grew, poetry, comedies,
histories, and tragedies were added.
FAMOUS POETS
The Poetry of Virgil

Publius Vergilius Maro (Classical
Latin: [ˈpuːbliʊs wɛrˈɡɪliʊs
ˈmaroː];usually called Virgil or
Vergil in English, was an ancient
Roman poet of the Augustan
period. He composed three of
the most famous poems in Latin
literature: the Eclogues (or
Bucolics), the Georgics, and the
epic Aeneid.
The Poetry of Horace
He was known as a famous

roman satirist and poet. He was
a friend of Virgil and attained
fame with his "Satires, Epodes
and Odes". Known for detailed
self-portraits in genres such as
epodes, satires, and epistles,
and lyrics. By offering a poetic
persona who speaks to so many
human concerns. Horace work
that is most famous and
influential is his arts poetica. It
is a poem that is part of his
epistles.
The Poetry of Ovid
Considered to be one of the most

influential poets in Western literary
tradition, Ovid wrote several
important works,
including Heroines and The Art of
Love. His most famous and revered
work, and considered alongside the
works of Homer and Virgil as
among the world's masterpieces,
is Metamorphoses, which he
finished around 8 BCE. He died at
the age of 61, in exile in the Black
Sea port of Tomi, known today as
Constanta, Romania.
SUMMARY
In summary, European Literature is quite interesting from its
amazing characteristics to its playwrights. Absolutely, this
literature brings so much culture enrichment to the world as a
whole. European literature had created a style of language that
was not used to persuade, but merely to transport the reader into
the mind of the speaker. An additional unique feature is the global
expansion of Western Europe’s languages and characteristic
literary forms.
Western literature is a vast and dynamic tapestry that reflects the
rich cultural, historical, and linguistic diversity of the continent. It
has played a crucial role in shaping global literary traditions and
continues to offer valuable insights into the human experience.
END OF
PRESENTATION !!

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O P EA N

Greek literature includes all works created from about 2000 BC to

One of the most enduring legacies of ancient Rome's culture is the

The Homeric Age(12th & 8th Century BC)

The Poetry of Virgil

He was known as a famous

Considered to be one of the most

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