Epic poems were ideal for expressing stories orally which is why they are common in the ancient world. Why were the epics of importance to the Greeks of the Dorian period? Specifically, epic poetry, which uses verses to tell a long story about a hero. Their mythical nature does not take away from the fact they contain important morals and teachings that are as relevant now as they were thousands of years ago. Storytelling was a prevalent tradition throughout Ancient Greece. Although epic poetry began well before the Ancient Greek civilization came about, it was an important part of the Greek culture starting in around the 6th century B.C. The Greek world in the late Bronze Age was related to the Middle East by so many close ties that it formed an integral part of the Levant. The Greeks in general regard Homer's two epics as the highest cultural achievement of their people, the defining moment in Greek culture which set the basic Greek character in stone. And I agree that there were other important purposes, too. The Greek alphabet was developed from the Phoenician alphabet. The Iliad, the Odyssey, Hesiod’s Theogony and Works and Days, and the Homeric Hymns formed the foundation for all of ancient Greek literature and they were the basis for a large swathe of ancient Greek culture.Of these poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey were the most important and influential. myth This is a marble sculpture of Polyphemus—a cyclops, or one-eyed monster— who appears in another of Homer’s epics, the Odyssey. The Iliad is an epic poem set in the Trojan War while the Odyssey tells the story of the adventures of Odysseus on his return from the Trojan war. The Iliad and The Odyssey are important because they are believed to be the first epics and because they tell us about life and culture in Ancient.... See full answer below. Today, when we refer to the ancient Greek epic poetry, we usually refer to the Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. The poet Homer composed them during the 700 B.C. c. 800 BCE: Homer: Homer composed his poems – the Iliad and the Odyssey. These stories contain the principles and lesson which are taught to the children in our country from childhood. The truth is, Greek myths are not only rooted in reality but have helped shape modern thinking in many important ways. Iliad are warriors: the fierce Greek Achilles (uh•KIHL•eez) and the courageous Why were epics and fables so important to the ancient Greeks? 776 BCE: First Olympic Games: First recorded Olympic games. The oldest surviving works of the great Greek epic poetry are the Iliad and the Odyssey, written by Homer around 800 BC. These stories are told to them so that they can learn why it is important to become a good human being. Epic - Epic - The Greek epic: Especially in its originative stage, the Greek epic may have been strongly influenced by these Asian traditions. 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