Gilgamesh

Gilgamesh is a legendary figure in Mesopotamian literature, revered as the king of Uruk, a major Sumerian city. In myth he is described as two-thirds god and one-third human. The figure appears in Sumerian poems and king lists, and the most famous rendition is the Epic of Gilgamesh, a compilation in Akkadian that survives on clay tablets from the Old Babylonian and later periods. The epic is among the oldest known works of literature and centers on themes of friendship, the pursuit of fame, mortality, and the responsibilities of kingship.

Plot follows Gilgamesh as a powerful but sometimes tyrannical ruler who encounters the world beyond his city. The gods create Enkidu, a wild man who becomes his companion. Together they defeat Humbaba, guardian of the Cedar Forest, and slay the Bull of Heaven sent by the goddess Ishtar. Enkidu falls ill and dies, plunging Gilgamesh into grief and fear of death. He undertakes a quest for immortality, travels to meet Utnapishtim, the survivor of the great flood, who recounts the flood story and tests him. Although Gilgamesh fails to obtain eternal life, he learns that lasting fame comes from heroic deeds and wise rule. He returns to Uruk and inscribes his story on stone, becoming a wiser king.

Legacy notes that the Epic of Gilgamesh has influenced later literature and religious and philosophical thought. It raises enduring questions about human limits, memory, and the meaning of civilization, and remains a central text in the study of Mesopotamian religion, mythology, and early literary expression. Translations and adaptations have helped it reach audiences worldwide.