Epic of Gilgamesh Essay

Epic of Gilgamesh Essay

Epic of Gilgamesh



. Mesopotamia, current day Iraq, derived its name from words meaning, "the land between the rivers," which refers to the Tigris and Euphrates. This land was inhabited during the fourth millennium B.C.E. and throughout time transcended into political and military organizations. The significance of these cultures revolved around important warrior figures and their impact on society. The most important figure that will be discussed is the protagonist from The Epic of Gilgamesh. Many consider it to be the greatest literary composition written in cuneiform Akkadian around 2150 BC. This epic portrays the life of the great warrior, Gilgamesh. It chronicles how his victories, both militaristic and internal, ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...Gilgamesh demonstrates these same tactics when he finds his community in danger. For example, Gilgamesh seized the Bull of Heaven, which came down from the skies, in order to protect his cherished citizens. 4 Protection of the city is Gilgamesh's main objective. He states, "I shall face unknown opposition, I shall ride along an unknown road." 5 Here, Gilgamesh seeks out to Pine Forest where he slays Humbaba, in order to exterminate evil and safeguard his city. Sumerian cities also faced external tribulations because of their wealth and virtually defenseless entrances o their land. Because the land and location was so flat and vulnerable the cities built defensive walls and organized military forces.6 Gilgamesh built a very similar structure. The wall of Uruk was an amazing barrier that sheltered every square mile of land. The citizens of Uruk claimed the wall to be "the pure treasury." 7 It becomes evident in Mesopotamian culture as well as with Gilgamesh that major defense mechanisms are needed in order to maintain security. When a city ––state gains structure the next step is to become proactively aggressive; therefore, conquering and punishing other cities. For example, "External threats came later to Egypt than to Mesopotamia, but the invasion of the Hyksos prompted the pharaohs to seize control of regions that might pose future threats." 8

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