Introduction. Mythology and literature of antiquity

Literature of the Antiquity: Epic, Lyric, Drama and Prose.

The works of ancient literature in the epic genre are represented by such names as Homer and Virgil. Homer is a legendary poet, the author of the oldest surviving epic poems - "Iliad" and "Odyssey." Sources for the creation of these works were myths, folk songs and legends. Epic poems by Homer were written with a hexameter.
Virgil is an ancient Roman poet, the author of the legendary epic poem "Aeneid." In it the author sings the legendary origin of the Roman people.
One of the most famous women lyrical genre can be called poetess Sappho. She used traditional folklore motifs, but saturated them with vivid images and strong feelings. The poet gained wide popularity during her lifetime. Her work consisted of nine books of poetry, but to this day only two poems and a hundred lyrical passages have survived.
Theater performances were one of the most popular entertainment in ancient Greece. Antique literature of the Golden Age of this direction is represented in two main genres: tragedies and comedies.
In fact, the ancient tragedy was an opera. Its founder is Ancient Greek playwright Aeschylus. He wrote more than 90 plays, but up to our time only 7 have survived. One of the most famous tragedies of Aeschylus is "Prometheus the Chained", whose image is still used by writers.
The ancient comedy had a political directivity. For example, one of the representatives of this genre - Aristophanes - in his comedies "Mir" and "Lysistrata" condemns the war between Greece and Sparta. Comedy "Riders" severely criticizes the shortcomings of democracy that has developed in Athens.
List of ancient literature in the genre of prose is represented, first of all, by Plato's dialogues. The content of these works is expounded through the arguments and dispute of two interlocutors who must find the truth. The main hero of Plato's dialogues was his teacher Socrates. This form of information was called "Socratic dialogue." There are 30 Plato's dialogues. The most famous of them are the myth about Atlantis, "Feast", "Fedon", "Fyodr".