WarmupWarmup

What did the Aryans bring to the What did the Aryans bring to the Indus Valley civilization?Indus Valley civilization?

The Epic of The Epic of GilgameshGilgamesh

How the How the Epic of Epic of Gilgamesh Gilgamesh Endured Endured

Stories of King Gilgamesh were told and Stories of King Gilgamesh were told and handed down for hundreds of years after his handed down for hundreds of years after his death. death.

When the Babylonians conquered the When the Babylonians conquered the Sumerians, they “inherited” the Sumerian Sumerians, they “inherited” the Sumerian cultural traditions. cultural traditions.

Other Babylonian writers modified the epic, Other Babylonian writers modified the epic, added the prologue and the flood story, as well added the prologue and the flood story, as well as emphasized the friendship between as emphasized the friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

The Epic of GilgameshThe Epic of Gilgamesh: : SettingSetting

Story takes place Story takes place in ancient in ancient SumerSumer, , one of the first one of the first settled parts of the settled parts of the Fertile Crescent.Fertile Crescent.

The The TigrisTigris and and EuphratesEuphrates rivers rivers allowed for the allowed for the development of development of water canals and water canals and agriculture.agriculture.

Epic of GilgameshEpic of Gilgamesh: Social : Social ContextContext

GilgameshGilgamesh was the was the actual king of ancient actual king of ancient UrukUruk circa 2700 B.Ccirca 2700 B.C..

This statue depicts This statue depicts Gilgamesh as a Gilgamesh as a powerful ruler and powerful ruler and lion-killer.lion-killer.

What can we learn What can we learn about Sumerian about Sumerian civilization and civilization and kingshipkingship by looking by looking at this statue?at this statue?

Epic of GilgameshEpic of Gilgamesh: : LanguageLanguage

Gilgamesh was written Gilgamesh was written down on clay down on clay cuneiformcuneiform tablets. tablets.

Scholars were able to Scholars were able to translate Sumerian translate Sumerian cuneiform by comparing cuneiform by comparing it to later it to later AkkadianAkkadian tablets with similar tablets with similar stories.stories.

This cuneiform writing This cuneiform writing consists of consists of wedge wedge shapesshapes read right to read right to left.left.

Epic of GilgameshEpic of Gilgamesh: : ReligionReligion

Sumerian shrine or Sumerian shrine or ZigguratZiggurat, c. 2100 B.C. in , c. 2100 B.C. in UrUr

The ziggurat is a The ziggurat is a religious temple “rising religious temple “rising like a mountain in the like a mountain in the desert” where Sumerians desert” where Sumerians worshiped local godsworshiped local gods

In Gilgamesh’s city of In Gilgamesh’s city of Uruk, the popular gods Uruk, the popular gods were were AnuAnu (father of the (father of the gods), gods), IshtarIshtar (goddess of (goddess of love), and love), and LugulbandaLugulbanda (Gilgamesh’s personal (Gilgamesh’s personal god)god)

What are the What are the major themes of major themes of

the Epic of the Epic of Gilgamesh?Gilgamesh?

Who is Who?Who is Who?

PeoplePeopleGilgameshGilgameshEnkiduEnkidu

GodsGodsAnu Anu EnlilEnlilEaEaShamhatShamhatNinsunNinsunShamashShamashIshtarIshtar

ProloguePrologue

What does Gilgamesh’s description What does Gilgamesh’s description tell us about Sumerian society?tell us about Sumerian society?

The Coming of EnkiduThe Coming of Enkidu

What does Enkidu represent?What does Enkidu represent? What is the countersymbol to What is the countersymbol to

Enkidu?Enkidu? What does the harlot represent?What does the harlot represent?

What are the qualities of a hero?What are the qualities of a hero?

The Story of the FloodThe Story of the Flood

Why do the gods destroy mankind?Why do the gods destroy mankind?

What does this say about the What does this say about the Sumerian view of the gods?Sumerian view of the gods?

On ImmortalityOn Immortality

What is the Sumerian view of death?What is the Sumerian view of death?

What should people do to live a good What should people do to live a good life?life?

The Epic of Gilgamesh The Epic of Gilgamesh The Story: Plot Lines & The Story: Plot Lines &

ActionActionSecond AdventureSecond Adventure

Gilgamesh rejects the love of Ishtar, Gilgamesh rejects the love of Ishtar, the goddess of the storehouse, love, the goddess of the storehouse, love, war, and the evening & morning star.war, and the evening & morning star.

Ishtar, enraged, sends Bull of Heaven Ishtar, enraged, sends Bull of Heaven against the people of Uruk.against the people of Uruk.

Gilgamesh and Enkidu destroy the Gilgamesh and Enkidu destroy the bull.bull.

Enkidu, as a result, is cursed and dies Enkidu, as a result, is cursed and dies a painful, slow, pathetic death.a painful, slow, pathetic death.

Epic of GilgameshEpic of Gilgamesh: : SignificanceSignificance

Oldest story ever recordedOldest story ever recorded First recorded “author”First recorded “author”

Kingship: How should a king rule?Kingship: How should a king rule? Mortality: What is the meaning of life?Mortality: What is the meaning of life? Friendship: Man’s relationship to manFriendship: Man’s relationship to man Flood story: Possible validation of Bible Flood story: Possible validation of Bible

storystory Shows commonality of human nature, Shows commonality of human nature,

stories, adventures, etc.stories, adventures, etc.