80 pages
English language
Published Dec. 25, 2006 by Penguin (Non-Classics).
Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, and his companion Enkidu are the only heroes to have survived from the ancient literature of Babylon, immortalized in this epic poem that dates back to the third millennium BC. Together they journey to the Spring of Youth, defeat the Bull of Heaven and slay the monster Humbaba. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh’s grief and fear of death are such that they lead him to undertake a quest for eternal life. A timeless tale of morality, tragedy and pure adventure, The Epic of Gilgamesh is a landmark literary exploration of man’s search for immortality.
Gilgamesh is not easy to root for. The people of Uruk basically told the gods, "help, our king is obnoxious!"
A short but magnificent story about a Sumerian hero-king, named Gilgamesh and his brave companion, Enkidu. With many references to the ancient civilization of Uruk and to its deities, the reader gets an insight to this ancient world of epic myths and legends. Kudos to the people who found this epic, carved on a stone, so that the world shall never forget the majestic age of heroes and gods.
