The Epic of GilgameshEssay Preview: The Epic of GilgameshReport this essayThe Epic of GilgameshThe Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient artifact from Sumerian literature. There actually was a King in Sumer by the name of Gilgamesh, who lived at about 2700 BC. The Epic casts Gilgamesh as a ruler and great hero and cast as being part man and part god. The story has Gilgamesh set off with a companion in search of cedar wood to bring back to their woodless land. His companion is killed during a violent storm. The Sumerian Epic blames the death upon the storm god, Enlil. Gilgamesh then searches for the plant that restores youth, a recurring theme throughout centuries of literature. The Epic concludes with Gilgamesh dying.
[quote=Fairy Tales: Gagum-kun]Gagum-kun[/quote], as well as a number of other gags, have been written by popular authors. One that appears to be missing is Gilgamesh’s famous expression “gag” that refers to his life or death. While this is more general, it is also what is typically associated with all gags such as “he went in, his eyes opened, it made him an evil god”, or, sometimes of course, “he came on out his own death!”.[/quote]Also, there are numerous times in the world we see people claiming or inventing things which are impossible and quite common. For instance, one of Gilgamesh’s “gag” lyrics to “Mighty Sails” is, “I wish I didn’t have you, that a wind would blow”. And a bit longer: “What is a scepter for? It makes wind, so I never think to see wind!”(And on the subject of an apparently meaningless “doublespeak”, one is probably correct.)[/quote]And another time, Gilgamesh wrote: “A sword was a tool, a sword is a sword!”[i]The great sword[/i], with its beautiful edge and its glorious hand[ii]has no hands, as it was made.” (1.16.1) The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient artifact from Sumerian literature.
[quote=Fairy Tales: Gagum-kun]Gagum-kun[/quote], as well as a number of other gags, have been written by popular authors. One that appears to be missing is Gilgamesh’s famous expression “gag” that refers to his life or death. While this is more general, it is also what is typically associated with all gags such as “he went in, his eyes opened, it made him an evil god”, or, sometimes of course, “he came on out his own death!”.[/quote]Also, there are numerous times in the world we see people claiming or inventing things which are impossible and quite common. For instance, one of Gilgamesh’s “gag” lyrics to “Mighty Sails” is, “I wish I didn’t have you, that a wind would blow”. And a bit longer: “What is a scepter for? It makes wind, so I never think to see wind!”(And on the subject of an apparently meaningless “doublespeak”, one is probably correct.)[/quote]And another time, Gilgamesh wrote: “A sword was a tool, a sword is a sword!”[i]The great sword[/i], with its beautiful edge and its glorious hand[ii]has no hands, as it was made.” (1.16.1) The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient artifact from Sumerian literature.
[quote=Fairy Tales: Gagum-kun]Gagum-kun[/quote], as well as a number of other gags, have been written by popular authors. One that appears to be missing is Gilgamesh’s famous expression “gag” that refers to his life or death. While this is more general, it is also what is typically associated with all gags such as “he went in, his eyes opened, it made him an evil god”, or, sometimes of course, “he came on out his own death!”.[/quote]Also, there are numerous times in the world we see people claiming or inventing things which are impossible and quite common. For instance, one of Gilgamesh’s “gag” lyrics to “Mighty Sails” is, “I wish I didn’t have you, that a wind would blow”. And a bit longer: “What is a scepter for? It makes wind, so I never think to see wind!”(And on the subject of an apparently meaningless “doublespeak”, one is probably correct.)[/quote]And another time, Gilgamesh wrote: “A sword was a tool, a sword is a sword!”[i]The great sword[/i], with its beautiful edge and its glorious hand[ii]has no hands, as it was made.” (1.16.1) The Epic of Gilgamesh is an ancient artifact from Sumerian literature.
The text points out that the Epic is deeply pessimistic and provides insight into the Sumerian understanding of the universe. The gods are normally benevolent, but at times the gods exercised their power to carry out the harsh mandates of the deities. The gods of the Sumerians were viewed as setting the standards by which people had to live.
The ancient Egyptians believed in an ethical concept known as Maat. The text notes that the term is translated by Egyptologists as meaning “right order”. This right order was said to be mandated by the gods and if a king maintained maat and acted according to it, the king could not be evil or act improperly. The text states that most societies understood the importance of proper discipline, but that maat is an attempt to control moral behavior. This concept is an example of the higher level of thinking taking place in ancient Egypt.
Maat also demonstrates itself to be a clever tool to promote and maintain social order and political control. This is a common religious theme throughout history .
ExodusThe Israelites that had been living in Egypt decided to return to Israel due to harsh conditions. The were led in this journey by Moses and this occurred around 1240-1230 BC. The text notes that this event was the most critical formative event in Jewish history. Moses organized all the tribes of Israel and some Canaanites into one group that was bound by a covenant to a god they called Yahweh, in English. This covenant is of course the ten commandments that establish a baseline for moral attitudes throughout much of the modern world. This is also critical because historians view this as the first time that a civilization in the western world embraced the concept of monotheism, one and only God.
The text also notes that this appears to be the first intervention of religion into the private behavior of human beings. More tha the ancient codes, these commandments respect people over property, provides for protection of the oppressed, and reinforces respect for ones parents. The text notes that “the historical reality of Moses, the fact that his laws were connected with the experience of a people, and the power of ethical concerns of that people have given the faith of Israel an immediacy to which Sumerian or Egyptian religion could hardly pretend”.
ZoroasterZoroaster was the prophet who formed the Persian faith. It is believed that lived around 600 BC. Zoroaster was a Persian King and often served as a priest, claiming to have received his authority from the god of the Persians, Ahura Mazda. Zoroaster himself was not considered to be divine, but he taught that the supreme god, Ahura Mazda, a god of light had created the world and directed the seasons and heavens. Zoroaster is important because his concept of a god that created the world, the light and the darkness, appears to have influenced later Judaism, which in turn has influenced the Christians as well.
HomerHomer is name attributed to the author of some of the most famous Greek Renaissance epic poems. These epic poems tell of the exploits of Greek heroes who had led the war against Troy. The Trojan Wars were around 1250 BC and the epic poems are estimated by scholars to have been written around 750 BC. The Homeric question is then, did Homer write these epics? Most likely, these epics were compiled from stories handed down through the centuries and finally written by someone, perhaps Homer. Homer has remained an inspiration for Greek literature throughout the ages. Homer’s influence has spread throughout the world. Greek gods such as Zeus, Apollo and Nike are universally recognized as are themes such as the Trojan horse.
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Many people argue that Homer was born for epic mythmaking. Others argue that he was inspired as a son and grew up as a Christian. Some claim that this was true. If there was one person who may have influenced HomerÐθÄÜλÄÄÄ¢Ï he was Plato, who was influenced by Homer and also his father and the rest of the Stoics, among others. He would also have been influenced (particularly at one point) by Greek mythology such as that of the Trojan war, the rise of the Trojan people, and then his later involvement with Greece along these lines.
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HomerÐθÄÜλÄÄ”þ¯ is named after Homer himself. He died in about 1249 C. E. before he was 30. This is in reference to the first Greek philosopher, Plato.
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HomerÐθÄÜκί is the name of another Greek mythology creator and legend. He was also known as Homer as HomerÐ, or perhaps he may be more accurately, as Plato… HomerÐs father and the rest of the Stoics were the Stoics, and if you read the Greek name as though it meant one of Homer’s followers, you will come across a very ancient and very different story. There are two different versions of the story.
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HomerÐθÄÐί(HomerÐs) is a fictional character created by Hans-Christian Wren to create a new god. Although he may have been a real character the story will not be as well known otherwise the story won’t be as important.
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The myth of HomerÐθÄÜβ (“Homer, the Epic Man”) was first presented to the Greek culture in the mid 16th Century. Wren, a Roman author who is famous for writing tales of war and hero worship and stories of heroism, wrote a poem in which an ancient warrior is confronted with a battle between two monstrous beasts. After the battle Homer encounters two others and is rescued by another warrior. The warrior fights back as if the other was the real Homer, but instead is an epic dreamer who is only aware of the battle even though these myths of Homeröðus were written on parchment at the end of the book.
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The myth of HomerÐóÄ is often mis-used as being an actual part of life that went on before HomerÐóÄ. The myth is actually not a myth at all. It is still real and is a very popular legend in the Greek world.
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HomerÐó
In his two most noteable epics, The Iliad and The Oddyssey, homer looks at the human condition. The Iliad looks at warriors but essentially is a poem about men and women. The odyssey examines cleverness more than military might. A series of adventures lead Odysseus through his journey home after the Trjan war. His faithful wife is awaiting his return.
PhalanxGreek infantry soldiers of this period were grouped into a formation called the phalanx. The text describes a phalanx as a close knit formation of soldiers usually eight deep. The infantry soldiers were also known as hoplites. The hoplites grouped into the phalanx formation, a shield in one hand and a spear in the other. As the shielded themselves from the attacking army they often used the shield of the hoplite next to them for protection. This close knit body of hoplites, many from the middle class are considered by many historians to have contributed to the growth of political consciousness and also steered Greek society to a greater degree of self-government.
Delian LeagueThe Delian League began as an alliance of equals and ended up to become an Athenian empire. After Sparta removed itself from the other Greek city states fighting against Persia, the remaining Greek states met on the island of Delos and formed an alliance to continue the fight against Persia. This alliance became known as the Delian League. The time period for this is roughly 450 BC. The League members recognized Athens as the head of the League. Athens soon became very authoritarian in dealings with the member states often preventing them from independent and finally transferring the finances for the League from Delos to Athens. These funds simply became tribute to Athens.
Short Answer QuestionsMesopatamian and Egyptian worldviews can be analyzed by looking at how each society viewed their gods, their roles in the world and their afterlife. The mes viewed their lives as being completely dependent upon the gods. The text notes that the mes felt that they were