The war novel 's main roots lie in the epic poetry of the classical and medieval periods , especially Homer 's The Iliad , Virgil 's The Aeneid , the Old English saga Beowulf , and different versions of the legends of King Arthur .
Some of the most famous epic poems are The Iliad by Homer , The Aeneid by Virgil , the Old English saga Beowulf , and the legends of King Arthur .