Essay On The Epic Of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh was the very first short story to be written down. Unlike many other ancient texts, the story of the Assyrian king Gilgamesh remained hidden for a while until it was rediscovered in 1853. It is a large compilation of early heroic tales that was collected and made one around 2000 BC by an unknown Babylonian scribe. It was found written on clay tablets in Akkad. The fullest version of Gilgamesh was said to be about three thousand lines, written on eleven tablets, with a twelfth tablet added later as some sort of appendix. Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk which the epic was written about, reigned somewhere in Sumer around 2600 BC, which is known as the Golden Age in Old Babylonian history. Gilgamesh was said …show more content…
I enjoyed reading this selection not only because of all the lessons it portrayed, but also because of all the Gods that were present in the book. I believe the author did accomplish what he wanted to in the making of this book. It illustrated what life was like in the time that the book was written. It was basically a guide to how their lives were lived and what this time period believed …show more content…
Even though it changed over many generations it is still a great story to be told. It set the standard for epic poetry as a genre in the Western world. The possibility of a historical Gilgamesh, and the reality of his city Uruk, is explored greatly since it was rediscovered in 1853. Being a part of the Mesopotamian culture, this epic is an important piece of literature and history in the time it was produced and until this day. This epic about a king, who desperately searches for immortality and loses it, learns that it was better to accept a short life filled with comfort than risk all to achieve an eternity of loneliness and