Epic of Gilgamesh Flashcards
The Epic of Gilgamesh is the greatest work of ancient Mesopotamia and one of the __________ pieces of world literature
earliest
The epic on the most fundamental questions of what it means to be human: death and _______; nature and _______; power and _________; travel adventures and _______; love and ________
Friendship, civilization, violence, homecoming, sexuality
The Epic of Gilgamesh was lost for several centuries but rediscovered by archaeologists in the _____ century
19th
Gilgamesh was two-thirds divine and one-third _______
human
What are the two possible meanings of the name Gilgamesh?
- “the offspring is a hero”
2. “the old man is still a young man
What is the date for “the definitive revision of the epic”?
Around 1200 BCE
While Gilgamesh is a blend of the divine and human, Enkidu is a blend of _____ and _________
human and wild animal
What is the name of the Giant who guards the forest for the harsh god Enlil?
Humbaba
Why must Enkidu die?
to avoid further disaster and Gilgamesh is king so he is chosen
What is the name of the “one man known to have achieved immortality”?
Utanapishtim
Utanapishtim account of their experience and survival of the flood resembles the story of?
Noah and the Great Flood in Genesis
Define epic
a long poem narrating important historical or cosmic events in elevated language and involving characters that go in between human and divine worlds
Identify at least 3 classically epic motifs that Gilgamesh shares with other epics in the Greek Tradition
- Mourning a friend
- Returning home
- Councils of gods deciding heroes fate
In contrast to the orally rooted Homeric epic, Gilgamesh was from the outset conceived as a ______________ work
literary
What was the name of the English explorer who dug up thousands of tablets from the site of Ninveh?
Austen Henry Layard
