The_Gilgamesh_Epic

The Gilgamesh Epic The Gilgamesh Epic 1. Definition of epic (Reid):"A long narrative poem about a hero's struggle with his destiny." The epic derives from Sumerian oral tradition dating to ca. 2000 BCE. It was told and retold for centuries. Our version is from Akkadian cuneiform tablets, 7th c. BCE. Gilgamesh is a true ruler who was king of Uruk around 2600 BCE. Uruk is a Sumerian city founded around 3500. The narrative begins with Gilgamesh, the best and brightest in the city of Uruk, running rampant with antisocial and violent behavior against men and women. The g-ds create Enkidu, the hairy wildman, to provide a counterweight. They fight, become friends, and perform heroic exploits such as the slaughter of Humbaba, the forest demon. This great exploit attracts Ishtar, who proposes marriage. Gilgamesh spurns the g-ddess because of her treatment of her past lovers. Ishtar asks the g-ds to give her retribution by having the two heroes attacked by the Bull of the Sun. They kill it, which angers the sun, who requires the death of Enkidu as expiation of property damage. The major issue treated is mortality. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh leaves in search of an answer for mortality. The advice of Siduri, the gilgamesh, enkidu, death, thou, thy, immortality, uruk, life, epic, city, youth, story, one, mortality, let, lead, ishtar, heroic, great, exploits, day, bce, wisdom, various, utnapishtim, sun, sumerian, slaughter, proposes, plant, night, narrative, marriage, make, loss, loses