Plural form of epyllion; short narrative poems or narrative episodes found in longer works, especially in classical literature.
Greek plural of epyllion (small epic), from epi- (upon) and hyle or hyllos (small poem). Used primarily to describe Hellenistic and Roman brief poetic narratives that served as digressions or embedded stories.
Renaissance scholars were absolutely fascinated by epyllia as a form—they saw them as a perfect middle ground between epic grandeur and lyric intimacy, which is why so many Renaissance poets obsessively collected and imitated them.
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