What is the Epic of Gilgamesh?
THE Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem, written by the Sumerians sometime around 2000 a. Ç. This story chronicles the feats of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, in his quest for immortality. It is considered the oldest work of literature in mankind. As a parameter, it is enough to remember that the famous Homeric poems appeared about 1500 years after this Sumerian epic.
The Epic of Gilgamesh was located by archaeologists on twelve clay tablets, each containing about 300 verses. However, historians consider only the first 11 tablets, since the 12th has a synthetic version of the story that contradicts the other inscriptions.
These tablets were found in an excavation that took place in the 19th century, in the region where the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh. These excavations were conducted by the British archaeologist Austen Harry Layard, who, in 1849, located a series of items belonging to the Library of Nineveh, of which the tablets of the Epic of Gilgamesh were a part.
The work of translation of the work was carried out by HenryRawlinson and GeorgeSmith in the second half of the 19th century. The translation of this epic poem was only possible thanks to the Inscription of Darius, which transcribed cuneiform characters into three languages: Persian, Babylonian and Elamite. This work was expanded when new pieces of history were found later.
The work found at this time was written by the Sumerians and was named Sha-naqba-imru (One who has seen the depth) or Shutur-eli-sham (He who rises above all kings). Later, her Sumerian original was transcribed at the behest of the king Assyrian Assurbanípal (668 a. Ç. - 627 a. C.) and was stored in the Library of Nineveh.
The Gilgamesh Epic seems to have been well known in the region, as research found several translations and adaptations made to from it, in languages such as Hittite and Hurrian and in different places like Nippur, Uruk and in the ancient Hittite capital, which was called Hattusa|1|.
Narrative of the Epic of Gilgamesh
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The narrative of the Epic of Gilgamesh tells the events of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. According to the ListRealSumerian (lists all Sumerian kings) he was the fifth king of that city. According to this list, Gilgamesh's reign over Uruk was 126 years, and he appears in the epic as the son of the goddess Ninsuna. This Sumerian king probably existed in the period between 2800 BC. Ç. and 2500 a. Ç.
In the story narrated by the poem, Gilgamesh is presented as a despotic, arrogant king who oppressed the people of the city of Uruk. The gods then created Enkidu from clay and sent him to meet Gilgamesh with a mission to humble him. The two became friends and started a path marked by many adventures, and in one of these adventures, both disrespected the goddess Inanna. The gods decided to kill Enkidu as punishment for disrespecting this goddess, and Gilgamesh, saddened, began another journey in search of immortality.
On this journey to immortality, Gilgamesh went to meet Utnapishtim, a hero known to have achieved immortality after surviving a great flood. During this great flood, Utnapishtim would have built a large ark at the behest of the gods and housed his family and a large number of animals in it. This hero promised Gilgamesh immortality as long as he fulfilled some missions. However, the king failed in these missions and returned to Uruk.
The mention of the flood is a part of the narrative that stands out because of the similarity with the biblical narrative about the flood and the trajectory of Noah. Historians believe that Sumerian history was instrumental in shaping the Hebrew narrative of the flood. These experts also suggest that, in addition to this, there are other aspects of Hebrew culture that were also inherited from the Sumerian culture.
|1| CAREER, José Nunes. Gilgamesh in Hittite Robe, p. 37. To access, click on here.
*Image credits: IR Stone and Shutterstock
By Daniel Neves
Graduated in History
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SILVA, Daniel Neves. "What is the Epic of Gilgamesh?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/historia/o-que-e-epopeia-gilgamesh.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
