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‘I am Gilgamesh who seized and killed the Bull of Heaven, I killed the watchman of the cedar forest, I overthrew Humbaba who lived in the forest’ Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, and his companion Enkidu are the only heroes to have survived from the ancient literature of Babylon, immortalized in this epic poem that dates back to the third millennium BC. Together they journey to the Spring of Youth, defeat the Bull of Heaven and slay the monster Humbaba. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh’s grief and fear of death are such that they lead him to undertake a quest for eternal life. A timeless tale of morality, tragedy and pure adventure, The Epic of Gilgamesh is a landmark literary exploration of man’s search for immortality. N. K. Sandars’s lucid, accessible translation is prefaced by a detailed introduction that examines the narrative and historical context of the work. In addition, there is a glossary of names and a map of the Ancient Orient.
@UrukRockCity All the ladies want to get it on now that I’ve slain the demon. But I must decline. I’m a clean man these days.
I just can’t win with women. Before, nailing all the ladies was bad. Now I refuse to seduce, and the Gods send a giant bull to kill me?
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Synopsis:
The Epic of Gilgamesh, which dates from the third millenium BC, is one of the finest surviving epic poems in world literature.
Miraculously preserved on clay tablets deciphered only in the last century, the cycle of poems collected around the character of Gilgamesh, the great king of Uruk, tells of his long and arduous journey to the Spring of Youth, of his encounters with monsters and gods and of his friendship with Enkidu, the wild man from the hills. Also included in the epic is a legend of the Flood, which agrees with many details in the biblical story of Noah. As a mixture of pure adventure, morality and tragedy, the story of Gilgamesh and his futile search for immortality transcends the barriers of time, for it revolves around fundamental forces and human problems common throughout the centuries.
The Epic of Gilgamesh, which dates from the third millenium BC, is one of the finest surviving epic poems in world literature.
Miraculously preserved on clay tablets deciphered only in the last century, the cycle of poems collected around the character of Gilgamesh, the great king of Uruk, tells of his long and arduous journey to the Spring of Youth, of his encounters with monsters and gods and of his friendship with Enkidu, the wild man from the hills. Also included in the epic is a legend of the Flood, which agrees with many details in the biblical story of Noah. As a mixture of pure adventure, morality and tragedy, the story of Gilgamesh and his futile search for immortality transcends the barriers of time, for it revolves around fundamental forces and human problems common throughout the centuries.
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