1. The Story of Gilgamesh the Hero
THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

2. The story of Gilgamesh is the oldest story in the world. Gilgamesh was the
world's first super-hero. The Sumerians first wrote down stories about
Gilgamesh in the third millennium B.C., but we have only fragments of these
stories. The most complete story of Gilgamesh that we know of is a
Babylonian version called, He Who Saw the Deep. He Who Saw the Deep is
considered to be the standard story of Gilgamesh, and is what we call today,
The Epic of Gilgamesh.
GILGAMESH THE LEGEND

3. The story takes place in Sumer, in the city-state of Uruk. The protagonist is
Gilgamesh, the first king to rule Uruk after the Great Flood. Gilgamesh was a
demi-god, two-thirds immortal, and one-third mortal. His mother was the
goddess, Ninsun, and his father was the king, Lugalbanda.
Gilgamesh was a powerful man, and none could equal his athletic talents. He
was handsome, and looked like a god. However, he was not a wise king. He
was young and brash. He treated his people harshly, and they prayed to the
gods for help.
THE EPIC