Gilgamesh

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal” (Albert Pine). Gilgamesh, the earliest known epic hero, the king that was two-thirds divinity didn’t understand this moral. Gilgamesh felt that when he died he legacy would too. Gilgamesh was born in 2500 BCE and died around 2700 BCE (Thompson); he was born to the union of goddess and man. “Gilgamesh is considered one of the first superhuman characters in recorded history” (Wilkapedia). Gilgamesh wasn’t that great of a ruler at first, He would take advantage of his people, and he would take the privilege of sleeping with the bride on their first night of marriage. But, Gilgamesh’s people prayed to the god to send them someone to help them. The gods then sent Enkidu. When the gods sent Enkidu he was a beastly and hairy and for a while he just protected the animal’s right outside of Uruk. Enkidu was like the king of the jungle. Once Enkidu and Gilgamesh met their first were foes and then they became great friends. Enkidu and Gilgamesh went on adventures together and balanced each other out. But when Gilgamesh decides to go on a very dangerous journey Enkidu ends up dying. Once Enkidu dies it causes Gilgamesh to really think about death and how one day he will die since he is still one-third man.

Gilgamesh wasn’t that great of a ruler in the beginning. Gilgamesh didn’t take his people’s welfare and best interest in to consideration. “The account begins: Gilgamesh, two-thirds god and one-third human, is the greatest king on earth and the strongest super-human that ever existed; however, he is young and oppresses his people harshly. The people call out to the sky-god Anu” (Hooker). In response the god sent Enkidu; a wild man to live in the jungle. Enkidu was sent to defeat Gilgamesh but instead he balanced him out. Gilgamesh was just very bored; he didn’t have anyone that was his superior, he didn’t have anyone that could match his athletic ability. But, Once Enkidu became civilized and entered the town of Uruk Gilgamesh was about to take his first night privilege. But, Enkidu didn’t