1. early Greek epic poetry, especially the works of Homer; the genre of epic poetry in general.
Usage: literary; often capitalized when referring to the Homeric epics
2. a body of poetry or legendary material belonging to a people or culture.
Usage: literary

Examples

• The Iliad and the Odyssey are foundational works of Greek epos.
• Scholars study epos to understand ancient cultural values and beliefs.
• The epos of a civilization often reflects its heroic ideals.
• Homer's epos shaped Western literature for centuries.
• Medieval epos, such as Beowulf, shares structural similarities with Greek epics.