### epic poem One of the oldest genres in literature, a long poem with fixed form, the subject of which is a historical, heroic story. It was considered the highest genre for a long time. The rules of the structure of the genre was based on Homer's epic pomes (Iliad and Ulysses) and Vergil's Aeneise. Proposition (naming the subject) was followed by invocation (turning to the muse). The story starts with intervention of the gods (deus ex machina) - in medias res, that is immediately - then it continued by enumeration (description of the armies) and less significant episodes. The poetic language is characterised by epithets (epitheton ornans), epic similes and repeated elements. ÁP-SzJú