Week 1 Assignment

Week 1 Assignment

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Week 1 Assignment

The term “the ancient world” refers to the period in history between 5,000 BC up to 500 Ad. It comprises the beginnings of writing and recorded human history and some of the earliest civilizations. Therefore, the beginnings of the writing marked an important period in history as it provided people with a means of documenting events and ideas. Therefore, ancient history writings provide insights into the way of life of people during the period. These are some of the main this I hope to learn about the ancient world in this class.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest surviving works of literature in history. The story is set in the state of “Uruk.” Uruk was in located in ancient Mesopotamia, the earliest civilization. The term “Uruk” is similar to Iraq. In fact, ancient Mesopotamia was located in modern-day Iraq. Therefore, it is pertinent to claim that Uruk was located in a geographical area that is currently referred to as Iraq. In fact the name of the modern state of Iraq is derived from Uruk.

In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk. He was two-thirds a god and one-third a human. He was physically beautiful, very strong and wise. However, Gilgamesh started his reign as a cruel depot. He used forced labor to accomplish his projects that depicted the grandeur of the state of Uruk. He also proclaimed the right to have sexual intercourse with new brides. His behavior ultimately angered the citizens of Uruk who cried out to Anu, the great god of heaven, to help in dealing with the king (Mitchell, 2014).

This prompted the gods to send Enkidu, a wild man to challenge Gilgamesh. He challenges Gilgamesh to a fight and Gilgamesh wins the fight after which they become good friends. During their adventures, they conquer and kill Humbaba, a monster that the gods had set over the Forest of Cedar. They also kill the Bull of Heaven, which angers the gods, who punish Gilgamesh with the death of Enkidu (Mitchell, 2014).

Enkidu and Gilgamesh can be regarded as a Doppelganger. They fit each other perfectly. After Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh searches for immortality while deeply mourning the death of his friend and worrying about his own death. Enkidu and Gilgamesh were the ancient history’s Bonnie and Clyde. They engaged in activities that angered the gods.

Reference

Mitchell, S. (2014). Gilgamesh. New York, NY: Free Press.