![[O.1054_color.jpg]] *Terracotta relief from about 4,250 years ago, of Gilgamesh battling the "bull of heaven".* In the central story of the Gilgamesh epic, the king's subjects in the city of Uruk cry out to the gods to protect them from Gilgamesh, a matchless hero who they say oppresses them with his overbearing demands and "drives the young men so hard" that he is undermining the social order of the city. The gods respond by creating Enkidu, a wild man of equal prowess to the king. Enkidu lives with the wild beasts in the countryside, eating grass. When word of Enkidu reaches Gilgamesh, the king sends a temple priestess to seduce and "civilize" him. During a weeklong sexual encounter, she teaches Enkidu not only how to make love, but to eat bread, drink beer, and wear clothes. The animals begin to shun their former friend and he decides to visit Uruk and challenge the king over his tyrannical behavior. ![[Enkidu,_Gilgamesh's_friend._From_Ur,_Iraq._2027-1763_BCE._Iraq_Museum.jpg]] *Enkidu, Gilgamesh's friend. From Ur, about 4,027 years ago.* Enkidu confronts Gilgamesh and they fight in the streets of Uruk. The wrestling match ends in a stalemate, since the two are evenly matched. They embrace, become best friends, and Enkidu fulfills his purpose by redirecting Gilgamesh from oppressing his people toward heroic deeds such as battling monsters in the wilderness. Together they kill the giant who guards a sacred cedar forest and the "Bull of Heaven" which is sent by the goddess Ishtar to attack the city when Gilgamesh rejects her marriage proposal. The gods decide this act must be punished and Enkidu dies -- not of battle but from a divinely-inflicted disease. The death of his friend causes the (semi-divine) king to go on a quest seeking immortality. He leaves the city and wanders the wilderness, wearing animal skins instead of clothing. When his quest fails, Gilgamesh returns to Uruk and becomes a wiser ruler who takes pride in the city's walls and achievements. Full text of the translation: https://uruk-warka.dk/Gilgamish/The%20Epic%20of%20Gilgamesh.pdf ----- Next: [[4.12 - Egyptian Tomb Texts]] Back: [[4.10 - Gilgamesh]]