ABSTRACT
In the three centuries covered by the history of the epyllion its supremacy was only twice seriously challenged. The first attempt to restore grand epic to its former dignity was made by Apollonius Rhodius and was a failure; 1 the second, that of Vergil, was an overwhelming success. It is true that the Metamorphoses are later than the Æneid, but Ovid was the only poet of importance who reverted to epyllion form, and his very use of it to construct a long poem proves how complete was the victory of the “great book.” Ovid found no imitators of his form among the Roman poets. The short story writers were to come later. Latin epic henceforth follows Vergil.
