The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest and most humanized texts in the world. It was written around 2000 BC by an anonymous author in ancient Mesopotamia. It predates even the more commonly cited works such as the Bible and Homeric poetry. By examining the similarities in ancient Greek mythology and literature, the legacy of the Epic of Gilgamesh can be clearly observed.
Many stories of ancient Mesopotamia appear in the mythological canon of ancient Greece, which shows that the Greeks had a great influence on Mesopotamia. The Greeks themselves had a complex pantheon of gods and heroes (they were also worshipped). The canon of Greek mythology is broad and also incorporates gods from other cultures, such as the early Mycenaeans and Minoans. These cultures influenced the religion of the ancient Greeks when they conquered civilizations, but Mesopotamian influences did not arise as a result of the conquests.
By taking routes over long distances, Mesopotamia was carried out with other civilizations, such as ancient Greece**. The two civilizations exchanged commodities such as raw materials, agricultural products, and, as their common story proves, myths.
Have you ever wondered where the story of the flood came from? The myth of the Great Flood drives the story of Gilgamesh. After the clamor of the god Enlil deciding to destroy humanity, Utnapishtim built and boarded a large ship with his family and a group of animals. When the waters receded, Utnapishtim offered sacrifices to the gods and released animals to repopulate the earth. In reward for his loyalty and obedience, the gods granted Utnapishtim eternal life. He told Gilgamesh the story of the destruction of the flood, and Gilgamesh came to him to seek the keys to eternal life.
In ancient Greek mythology, Zeus unleashed a great flood to wipe out humanity because of its impiety and violence – a truth that sounds familiar. However, just before the flood, the Titan Prometheus spoke to his son Deucalion, warning him of the impending catastrophe. Deucarion and his wife Pyrrha ascended a large chest they were going to build and found high ground on the top of the hill, which is commonly referred to as Mount Parnassus.
When the flood finally receded, Deucalion and Pyrra repopulated the earth by throwing stones on their shoulders, based on the riddles given to them by the oracle of Delphi.
The theme of sacred genocide due to bad behavior is present in both the flood myth of ancient Greece and the epic of Gilgamesh. Each built his own ship according to God's warning, and once the flood subsided, both Utnapishtim and Diocalion would repopulate on Earth, albeit through their own unique methods.
The story of Achilles and Patroclus is one of the most famous stories in the Western classics, but its roots are even older than the ancient Greek civilization. Scholars date the Iliad to the eighth century BC, and the Iliad was preceded by the Epic of Gilgamesh. According to the most accurate estimates, Gilgamesh predates the Iliad by about a thousand years.
Although the epic is not a codex, the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is similar to that between Nkidu and Gilgamesh. Even the language used to describe the relationships between these people mirrors each other. After Encidu's death, Gilgamesh referred to his lost companion as "the one my soul loved the most", while Patroclos, associated with Achilles, was called "very dear" in English.
When death comes, it is easy for people to believe that these are their most beloved companions. Their respective heroes are almost directly responsible for the deaths of Enkidu and Patroclus. Nkidou was killed by the goddess Ishtar for Gilgamesh killing the Celestial Bull. Due to Achilles' own refusal to participate in the battle, Patroclus was killed by the Trojan hero Hector, Achilles' sworn enemy.
Both heroes mourn their companions with the same, heartbreaking heartbreak. Gilgamesh slept with Nkitdu's body for seven days and seven nights, until "a worm fell out of his nostrils" and he began to decompose. Achilles kept Patroclus in bed every night for a week, and only left when the shadow of his companion appeared in a dream and asked him to perform a proper death ritual.
It is this resonant humanity that makes the friendship of Achilles and Patroclus undoubtedly the same as that of Nkidu and Gilgamesh.
For both the ancient Greeks and the Mesopotamian culture, the bull was of great significance. The Celestial Bull is one of the most important characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh; Its killing and sacrifice led to Nkitdu's death, an event that changed Gilgamesh's status as a hero. Gilgamesh dug out the heart of the Celestial Bull to sacrifice to the sun god Shamash. Subsequently, he dedicated the oil-filled bull's horn to his divine father, the cultural hero Lugarbanda.
The Cretan bull is closest to the celestial bull in the ancient Greek classics. It appears especially in the works of Theseus. He captured the bull and brought it back to King Aegeus, who sacrificed it to the god Apollo on the advice of Theseus, thus extending the theme of posthumous cattle sacrifice to various civilizations.
The Epic of Gilgamesh has even made its way into modern culture, albeit perhaps with more caution. However, one only needs to look at today's culture with a sharper eye to discover how the Mesopotamian story has shaped it.
The flood myth in the Epic of Gilgamesh influenced not only the ancient Greeks but also the Hebrews. For example, the story of Noah, which is familiar to modern people, is taken directly from Gilgamesh, where Noah is Utnapishtim and the ark is his ship.
Joseph Campbell was a well-known scholar of comparative mythology and religion who wrote extensively about heroic journeys, and we cannot deny that Gilgamesh is undoubtedly the earliest literary example of such a hero. Gilgamesh and The Epic of Gilgamesh guide the way today's culture thinks when it comes to imagining the hero and his story in an invisible and visible way. Like the heroes it fervently pursues, The Epic of Gilgamesh is immortal.