Sumerian Literature from 2500 B.C. The Epic of Gilgamesh Sumerian Literature from 2500 B.C.

The Epic of Gilgamesh: Setting Story takes place in ancient Sumer, one of the first settled parts of the Fertile Crescent The Tigris and Euphrates rivers allowed for the development of water canals and agriculture This is part of modern-day Iraq

Historic Map of Mesopotamia

Epic of Gilgamesh: Art Gilgamesh was the actual king of ancient Uruk about 2700 B.C. This statue depicts Gilgamesh as a powerful ruler and lion-killer What can we learn about Sumerian civilization and kingship by looking at this statue?

Epic of Gilgamesh: Legacy Later classical and medieval kings also used lions as their personal symbol Examples include Henry “the lion” of Saxony and Richard “the lion-hearted” who led the first crusade c. 1100 (right)

Epic of Gilgamesh: Language Gilgamesh was written down on clay cuneiform tablets; it is the oldest written work found thus far. Scholars were able to translate Sumerian cuneiform by comparing it to later Akkadian tablets with similar stories This cuneiform writing consists of wedge shapes read right to left

Epic of Gilgamesh: Religion Sumerian shrine or Ziggurat, c. 2100 B.C. in Ur The ziggurat is a religious temple “rising like a mountain in the desert” where Sumerians worshiped local gods In Gilgamesh’s city of Uruk, the popular gods were Anu (father of the gods), Ishtar (goddess of love), and Lugulbanda (Gilgamesh’s personal god)

Epic of Gilgamesh: Themes Civilization vs. Nature Kingship (how should a king rule?) Religion: How do people and gods interact? How do Sumerians appease the gods through ritual? Mortality: What is the meaning of life? Epic literature (slaying the “dragon”) Flood story