CLAA06H3 Lecture 8: History and Heroes
Document Summary
Legends are about semi-divine heroes; so they are not gods. Greek historians believe that their heroes lived in ancient times: evidence: bones and burial places (cid:1) (cid:1) the early mediterranean legend of gilgamesh. The earliest hero lived in the mesopotamian world and goes back to. He is the legendary king of uruk of the city, sumer. He actually ruled between 2800 and 2500 b. c. (cid:1) (cid:1) Him and his friend enkidu battle monsters humbaba and bull of. Heaven, which was sent by the goddess ishtar; this angers her and so as punishment enkidu dies. So, gilgamesh goes on a journey to find immortality and then realizes that all mortals have to die at one point and so goes back and lives his life. This story is a near easter parallel (gilgamesh slaying humbaba) to the (cid:1) (cid:1) Greek myth of perseus slaying the gorgon, medusa. (cid:1) (cid:1)
