Ancient Greek and Roman epic is full of transtextual characters: characters who reappear in different epics composed by different authors in different periods. Divinities such as the Twelve Olympians, heroes such as Achilles and Odysseus, and numerous minor characters travel through epic history and are constantly transformed and adapted. The concept of transtextuality, however, is relatively new in the field of Classics. TRANSEPIC, comprising 37 chapters in four sections, offers the first systematic study of transtextual characters in ancient epic. The first section lays out the theoretical and methodological groundwork. The second section looks at divine and semi-divine characters, containing studies on Olympian and non-Olympian deities. The third section deals with mythical figures, while the final section turns to historical characters who appear in epic poetry. By presenting up-to-date research linked with a profound theoretical grounding, TRANSEPIC is of relevance to Classicists specializing in ancient epic, to literary theorists interested in diachronic narratology and narratological character analysis, and to anyone wishing to trace the development of literary characters in ancient literature.
