Oriental literature, also known as Asian and African literature, is an important part of world literature. "The East" in the literary sense is neither an international political or military concept nor a regional concept, but a cultural concept, which is a concept relative to Euro-centered Western culture. The "East" has a long-standing indissoluble bond with Asia and Africa. The ancient Assyrians in the Mesopotamia called the east where the sun rises "Asia". Later Greeks followed this name and changed it to "Asia". In modern history, geographical terms such as the Near East, the Middle East, and the Far East also followed this meaning and were used for Asia. As for Africa, it is mainly because Egypt in ancient North Africa, Babylon in West Asia, India in South Asia, and China in East Asia at the same time are known as the four ancient civilizations in the East. Therefore, it is customary to incorporate Africa into the geographical concept of "East". This is the East and Asia and Africa. origin relationship. Compared with the maritime culture of ancient Greece and Rome, Eastern countries have a typical inland river culture. Ancient Eastern literature refers to the literature at the end of primitive society and the period of slave society. The oldest and largest collection of poetry in the world, the earliest and longest epic poem of mankind, etc., have appeared in the East one after another. Ancient Eastern literature is at the forefront of world literature, medieval literature is in a priority position, modern literature is backward but distinctive, and modern and contemporary literature is in a period of renaissance and is one of the most promising literatures in the world. The four ancient civilizations (Egypt, Babylon, India, and China) were all oriental countries, and their literature was the origin of world literature.