Gilgamesh

Examples of Gilgamesh in the following topics:

• The Mesopotamian Cultures

  • The earliest king authenticated through archaeological evidence is Enmebaragesi of Kish, whose name is also mentioned in the Gilgamesh epic (ca. 2100 BCE)—leading to the suggestion that Gilgamesh himself might have been a historical king of Uruk.
  • As the Epic of Gilgamesh shows, the second millennium BCE was associated with increased violence.

• Babylonian Culture

  • One of the most famous of these was the Epic of Gilgamesh, in twelve books, translated from the original Sumerian by a certain Sin-liqi-unninni, and arranged upon an astronomical principle.
  • Each division contains the story of a single adventure in the career of King Gilgamesh.

• Lagash and the Third Dynasty of Ur

  • Some scholars believe that the Uruk epic of Gilgamesh was written down during this period into its classic Sumerian form.
  • For example, the Ur III kings often claimed Gilgamesh's divine parents, Ninsun and Lugalbanda, as their own, to evoke a comparison to the epic hero.

• The Sumerians

  • The Epic of Gilgamesh mentions several leaders, including Gilgamesh himself, who were likely historical kings.

• The Mythical Period

  • While these events are mythological, at their root there may be ancient memories of very early kings and rulers who emerged among the prehistoric Chinese, similar to the tales of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia.

• Akkadian Government, Culture, and Economy

  • Previously a ruler could, like the legendary Gilgamesh, become divine after death but the Akkadian kings, from Naram-Sin onward, were considered gods on earth in their lifetimes.

• Harappan Culture

  • This may be a reference to the Sumerian myth of a monster created by Aruru, the Sumerian earth and fertility goddess, to fight Gilgamesh, the hero of an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem.