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The Epic of Gilgamesh
c. 2000 B.C.E
Author
Anonymous; story was crafted and reworked by various Mesopotamian cultures
including the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, and Assyrians; original story likely
dates back to around the time of King Gilgamesh of Uruk (c. 2,700 BC);
Language & Form
Epic poem - 3500 lines. Originally in the Sumerian language, written down with
cuneiform characters on clay tablets found at Nippúr in Mesopotamia and dating back
to around 2,000 BC; Synthetic Standard Version based on the 12-tablet Akkadian
version of the poem found in the 25,000-tablet library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal
(668-627 BC) at Niniveh.
Synopsis
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of King Gilgamesh of Uruk who oppresses his
people. As punishment, the gods send him a companion, Enkidu, who is his mirror
image and becomes his good friend. Together, Gilgamesh and Enkidu defy the gods by
killing the giant Humbaba, cutting down the sacred cedar forest which he guards, and
killing the Bull of Heaven. Enkidu has ominous dreams of the destiny of tyrants who
become slaves in the House of Death. Enkidu finally dies of an illness sent by the gods.
Horrified by Enkidu's death and the prospect of his own demise, Gilgamesh undertakes
a quest for immortality which brings him to the abode of Utnapishtim, a virtuous man
who obeys the gods and was saved by them from the Great Flood. Utnapishtim puts
Gilgamesh to various tests which he fails and eventually sends him away, assuring him
that he cannot escape death. A humbled Gilgamesh returns to Uruk and orders his
story to be inscribed in stone.
Main Issues
Earliest known literary work.
Epic criticizes tyranny, oppression, violence, conquest, and the ambitions of the
powerful and promotes instead the values of a simple life of rest and enjoyment of the
pleasures of human companionship, love, food, and drink.
Central idea of the epic is a carpe diem ("seize the day") theme.
Pro-nature, proto-environmentalist stance of the poem.
Sumerians, the inventors of civilization, appear to have had misgivings about the
implications of the alienation of human beings from nature and the victimization of
nature by civilized people.
Epic expresses a belief in a divine justice, order, or balance of things requiring punishment
in kind for transgressions such as violence, cruelty, pride/hubris, the oppression of others,
and the destruction of nature. Such beliefs are embodied in the story in the wrath of the god
Enlil and the concept of Namtar (evil fate) and are likely origins/prototypes of later notions
such as Babylonian Lex Talionis ("eye for an eye"), the Greek Moira, Hindu/Buddhist Karma,
and the Christian Golden Rule. Ancient Sumerian proverb: "you go and take the field of the
enemy; the enemy comes and takes your field"
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Read the portion of the Gilgamesh story in which Utanapishtim tells the flood story.
(Go to http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/ and click on Tablet XI.)
Then, answer the following questions:
1. Summarize what happened in this story.
2. What does this story tell us about Sumerian religion – about their gods and beliefs?
This should remind you of the biblical story of Noah’s flood.
Next, read Genesis chapters 6-9, the story of Noah, and answer these questions:
1. Summarize what happened in this story.
2. Describe some of the parallels and differences between the story of Noah and the flood
and the story that Utanapishtim tells in the Epic of Gilgamesh?
COMPARE
extent of flood
who orders flood
and why
hero and hero’s
character
description of the
boat and
passengers
after the flood
Genesis
Gilgamesh
3. Do you think the differing belief structures – one polytheistic, one monotheistic – the cause
of some of the differences? Explain.
4. Which story do you believe came first? Why?
5. . How do the texts reflect their society’s religious beliefs, political situation, culture, or
another aspect of the society?
6. Was there a great flood? Is the story based on real events?