The Epic of Gilgamesh

by Kovacs, Maureen Gallery

• ISBN13: 9780804717113
• ISBN10: 0804717117
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1989-09-01
• Publisher: Ingram Pub Services

Summary

Since the discovery over one hundred years ago of a body of Mesopotamian poetry preserved on clay tablets, what has come to be known as the Epic of Gilgamesh has been considered a masterpiece of ancient literature. It recounts the deeds of a hero-king of ancient Mesopotamia, following him through adventures and encounters with men and gods alike. Yet the central concerns of the Epic lie deeper than the lively and exotic story line: they revolve around a man's eternal struggle with the limitations of human nature, and encompass the basic human feelings of lonliness, friendship, love, loss, revenge, and the fear of oblivion of death. These themes are developed in a distinctly Mesopotamian idiom, to be sure, but with a sensitivity and intensity that touch the modern reader across the chasm of three thousand years. This translation presents the Epic to the general reader in a clear narrative.

Table of Contents

A Note to the Reader	xi
A Note on the Translation	xiii
Introduction	xvii
The Epic of GILGAMESH
Tablet I	1	(12)
Tablet II	13	(10)
Tablet III	23	(6)
Tablet IV	29	(10)
Tablet V	39	(10)
Tablet VI	49	(8)
Tablet VII	57	(10)
Tablet VIII	67	(6)
Tablet IX	73	(8)
Tablet X	81	(14)
Tablet XI	95	(16)
Appendix A: Glossary	111	(5)
Appendix B: Tablet XII	116	(2)
Appendix C: Mesopotamian Languages and Writing	118	(2)
Appendix D: For Further Reading	120