Dec 17, 2009

The Epic of Gilgamesh | Summary

Prologue
The Prologue establishes Gilgamesh's stature as the special creation of the gods: he is the son of a goddess and a human and thus partly divine. The strongest and wisest of all humans, he is also the renowned builder and king of the great city of Uruk. The Prologue sets the story in the distant past, in "the days before the flood" (1.61), when Gilgamesh himself etched the whole story in stone.

1. The Coming of Enkidu
Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, is the strongest of all men, but he is a harsh and unkind ruler. The people of Uruk describe his abuses to...