1. The Epic of Gilgamesh (Ca. 2500-1500 B.C.E.)
Mesopotamian text of unmatched antiquity
Precedes Hebrew scriptures
Lengthy textual evolution
Was once tremendously popular
Vanishes during infancy of Hebrew civilization

2. The Epic of Gilgamesh Originally written down in Sumerian
Gets adapted and modified
Modern text based on collection of 12 hardened clay tablets written in Semetic language of Akkadian
12 tablet (“Gilgmesh and the Underworld”) usually treated as appendix

3. The Epic of Gilgamesh
Great influence on Hebrew, Greek, and Roman mythology
Strong influence on Bible—Old Testament specifically
Bible adopts/adapts Flood story

4. The Ancient Middle East

5. The Ancient Middle East

6. Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia

7. The Epic of Gilgamesh
Historical Gilgamesh ruled in ancient Mesopotamian city of Uruk
Beginning in roughly 2700 B.C.
Great story of friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu
Gilgamesh divinely endowed with great strength, courage, and beauty
More god than man
Mortal father

8. The Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh initially appears as bad ruler
People of Uruk complain
Gods’ respond by creating Enkidu as counter to Gilgamesh
Enkidu as godlike mixture of human and wild animal
Animal initially dominant
Enkidu Raised by wild beasts
Breaks hunters’ traps

9. Gilgamesh and Enkidu
Gilgamesh and Enkidu initially want to destroy each other
Becomes tale of great friendship, true companionship, and heroism
1st adventure: Gilgamesh’s desires to slay great giant of the Cedar Forest—Humbaba

10. Gilgamesh and Enkidu
2nd adventure: Gilgamesh’s harsh rejection of Ishtar causes her to send the Bull of Heaven against people of Uruk
Destruction of Bull brings about slow death of Enkidu

11. Gilgamesh’s Search for Immortality
Gilgamesh attempts to learn secret of immortality
Comes to accept his mortality
Consolation is the endurance of his worldly accomplishments

12. Epic as Genre
Long narrative poem that treats a serious, grand, or heroic subject
Formal elevated style
Revolves around heroic or semi-divine figure
Recounts events of national, cultural, or tribal consequences

13. Epic as Genre
Traditional Epics imitated in Literary Epics (e.g. Paradise Lost)
Aristotle ranked epic second in grandeur only to tragedy
Epic hero as figure of great national or perhaps cosmic significance
Setting grand in scale
Action involves superhuman elements

14. Epic as Genre Divine creatures take interest in human activity
Ceremonial style
Includes machinery
Numerous conventions of epic
Epic simile: formal and sustained similes in which vehicle (secondary subject) is developed extensively beyond its close parallel to the tenor (primary subject)

15. Epic conventions Epic argument, theme, or question Invocation of muse
Begins in media res (in the middle of things)
Catalogues and genealogies
Becomes influential in development of modern novel

16. Epic of Gilgamesh
18: Epic proclamation: to “proclaim to the world the deeds of Gilgamesh”
Also author of his own story
Gods gave him great wisdom, courage, and physical strength
19: 2/3 god and 1/3 man
Great city of Uruk

17. Epic of Gilgamesh Ana: father of the gods Ishtar: goddess of love
19: claims city is still there today
Gilgamesh arrogant and abusive ruler
Aruru—goddess of creation—creates Enkidu
Enkidu innocent of human world
part wild animal, part human

18. Epic of Gilgamesh 20: Trapper’s report of Enkidu
Enkidu helps wild game escape
Harlot to teach Enkidu “your woman’s art”
Enkidu spends six days and seven nights with harlot
Wild animals now run from Enkidu
Enkidu made weak—”thoughts of man were in his heart”

19. Epic of Gilgamesh 21: Enkidu longs for comrade
Wants to go with harlot to Uruk to proclaim his greatness
Gilgamesh’s mother explains his dreams
22: Enkidu made to eat bread and drink wine
Becomes a man
Enkidu to change order

20. Epic of Gilgamesh 22: Gilgamesh and Enkidu fight
23: Enkidu and Gilgamesh become friends
Gilgamesh to go to forest to destroy evil and make name for himself
Humbaba
24: Gilgamesh on the despair of city life
Arming of Gilgamesh and Enkidu

21. Epic of Gilgamesh 24: Gilgamesh determined to leave behind great name
25: Counselors or Uruk discourage Gilgamesh from going to forest
Shamash gave Gilgamesh a restless heart
26: Counselors tell Gilgamesh to let Enkidu lead the way
Gilgamesh rallies Enkidu

22. Epic of Gilgamesh 27: Humbaba awakened by Gilgamesh cutting down cedar
28: Enkidu wants to go back to city
Gilgamesh must rally Enkidu again
29: Humbaba emerges at 1st cut of cedar
Enkidu claims Humbaba must die
Gilgamesh and Enkidu attack Humbaba

23. Epic of Gilgamesh
30: Mountains and hills moved when guardian of forest downed
Ishtar asks Gilgamesh to be her bridegroom
Gilgamesh won’t marry Ishtar
Claims she doesn’t love anyone very long
Recounts tales of Ishtar’s many lovers
31: Ishtar’s rage

24. Epic of Gilgamesh 31: Ishtar to let loose Bull of Heaven
Bull let loose on people of Uruk
32: Gilgamesh and Enkidu kill Bull
Enkidu now to die
33: Enkidu curses harlot
34: Gilgamesh realizes end of life is sorrow
Enkidu’s lengthy sickness
Enkidu claims he will die a shameful death—not in battle

25. Epic of Gilgamesh 35: Everyone is now mourning Enkidu Enkidu dies
26: Gilgamesh to mourn Enkidu
Gilgamesh now wanders over wilderness
To go see man who survived flood—Utnapishtim
37: Gilgamesh’s lengthy mourning of Enkidu

26. Epic of Gilgamesh 37: Gilgamesh now in search of eternal life
Wants to talk with Utnapishtim
Gilgamesh enters mountain of Mashu
Darkness
38: Gilgamesh to break through gate of Siduri
Gilgamesh doesn’t want to experience death

27. Epic of Gilgamesh 38: Siduri encourages Gilgamesh to be happy
40: Gilgamesh must bring poles to travel through waters of death
Can’t let hands touch the water
Gilgamesh explains despair to Utnapishtim
Gilgamesh now afraid of death
41: Utnapishtim has entered assembly of gods

28. Epic of Gilgamesh 41: Utnapishtim explains that nothing is permanent
Utnapishtim appears normal
Time when world population increased and people became wild
Gods agreed to exterminate humankind
42: Utnapishtim builds boat—fills it full
Land smashed—even gods terrified by flood

29. Epic of Gilgamesh 43: All mankind turned to clay
Lets loose dove on 7th day
44: Utnapishtim made immortal as lone survivor of flood
45: Gilgamesh given clothes that won’t age until he gets home
Utnapishtim’s secret to Gilgamesh re: rose plant

30. Epic of Gilgamesh 45: Gilgamesh takes plant
Serpent then takes rose—Gilgamesh weeps
46: Men, like moon, wax and wane
Kingship, not immortality, was Gilgamesh’s destiny
Gilgamesh dies
47: Gilgamesh’s great praise