Thursday 30 July 2009

What does the prologue suggest about the values of ancient Mesopotamians in The Epic of Gilgamesh?

Margarete Abshire

Thecelebrates many values of the Mesopotamians, which Gilgamesh exemplifies. Chief
among these are beauty, wisdom, and courage, all of which Gilgamesh himself is an example. These
are traits that have a divine inspiration; Gilgamesh is said to be two-thirds god, one-third
man.

Beyond these personal attributes, the prologue celebrates some more
general values. For one thing, The prologue venerates antiquity in general; Gilgamesh's story is
important in part because it is old. The same is true for the walls Gilgamesh built at Uruk;
these are without peer in part because they have endured for so long.


Mostly, however, the prologue celebrates knowledge as a way of preserving a
culture....

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