Fragment from Second Tablet of "The Epic of Gilgamesh"
Clay
Uruk
6.5 cm x 6.5 cm x 1.5 cm
A3444
Oriental Institute Museum
Fragment from Second Tablet of "The Epic of Gilgamesh"
Gilgamesh was a legendary king of the city of Uruk. Many stories were written about him in both the Sumerian and Akkadian languages. These stories later formed the basis of "The Epic of Gilgamesh," the most famous of all Akkadian literary compositions. This fragment is from the second tablet of the Gilgamesh epic. It describes a meeting between Gilgamesh and the wild man, Enkidu. While the two men begin by fighting each other, they later become close friends. Gilgamesh seeks to make a name for himself by traveling with Enkidu to conquer the monster, Humbaba, guardian of the Cedar Forest.
Multimedia
Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
What was life like in ancient Mesopotamia? Find out in this video featuring Oriental Institute Assyriologist Dr. Martha Roth.
An Early Clay Tablet
See how this early clay tablet used pictures to communicate.
Suggested Readings
Bryson, Bernarda. Gilgamesh: Man's First Story. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, 1966.
Kovacs, Maureen Gallery. The Epic of Gilgamesh. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1989.
McCall, Henrietta. Mesopotamian Myths. London: British Museum Publications, 1990.
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