The Original Epic: The Iliad, Greece, c. 800 B.C.E.
What Happens In It?: Two nations go to war for ten years after Paris, son of Troy, captures the most beautiful woman in the world: Helen, wife to Menelaus of Sparta.
The Modern Hit: Jimmy Soul, “If You Want To Be Happy”
The Theme: “Never make a pretty woman your wife.”
The Original Epic: The Odyssey, Greece, c. 800 B.C.E.
What Happens In It?: Greek warrior Odysseus spends twenty years trying to return to his faithful wife Penelope after the Trojan War, dodging Poseidon’s curse and enamored nymphs alike.
The Modern Hit: Looking Glass, “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)”
The Theme: “You’re a fine girl; what a good wife you would be. But my life, my love, and my lady is the sea.”
The Original Epic: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Mesopotamia, c. 2100 B.C.E.
What Happens In It?: Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, travels to the Underworld after the loss of his beloved companion Enkidu and learns to value his time on earth while it lasts, because death is inevitable.
The Modern Hit: Paper Lace, “Billy Don’t Be A Hero” (runner-up: Terry Jacks, “Seasons In The Sun”)
The Theme: “Don’t be a fool with your life.”
The Original Epic: The Tale of The Heike, Japan, c. 13th century
What Happens In It?: The Taira and Minamoto families vie for dominance during the Genpei War; impermanence and chaos are the rule of the day.
The Modern Hit: Kansas, “Dust In The Wind”
The Theme: “The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night; the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind.”
The Original Epic: The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer, c. 14th century
What Happens In It?: A group of travelers tells stories at a way station on the road to a destination none of them will ever arrive at.
The Modern Hit: Eagles, “Hotel California”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0G1Ucw5HDg
The Theme: “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.”
The Original Epic: The Divine Comedy, Dante, c. 14th century
What Happens In It?: A single man travels through every dimension of the afterlife, seeing visions no other living human has ever seen, and glimpses the spirit of his long-dead lover in Heaven.
The Modern Hit: James Taylor, “Fire and Rain”
The Theme: “I’ve seen fire and I’ve seen rain. I’ve seen sunny days that I thought would never end. I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend, but I always thought that I’d see you again. Won’t you look down upon me, Jesus, You’ve got to help me make a stand. You’ve just got to see me through another day.”
The Original Epic: The Aeneid, Virgil, c. 20 B.C.E.
What Happens In It?: A soldier abandons his dead wife, his steady girlfriend, and several lovers in order to go traveling and get in fights with strangers.
The Modern Hit: Eagles, “Take It Easy”
The Theme: Whether they want to stone you, own you, or claim they just want to be friends, women only slow you down.
