Ancient Mesopotamia and the Epic of Gilgamesh

The heroic poem of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest heroic poems know to man, reflects the challenges of life in past Sumer by dealing with them metaphorically. The most important challenges in past Sumerian life were deforestation and make full. After Enkidu and Gilgamesh meet and be go far friends, Gilgamesh proposes that they go to the cedar forest and cut overmatch all the trees. Though Gilgameshs debate for shimmy down all the trees isnt very reasonable, he still persuades Enkidu to come along with him. At dawn Gilgamesh embossed his ax and struck at the considerable cedar.When Humbaba heard the sound of falling trees, he hurried down the path that they had seen muchover only he had traveled. 1 Gilgamesh and Enkidu cutting down trees was a metaphor for the on-going problem of deforestation in past Mesopotamia. Because Gilgamesh and Enkidu cut down the trees that were sacred to the gods, the gods cuss mankind with fire and drought. Civilization has never recognized l imits to its needs. 2 In ancient Mesopotamia, the land was savagely deforested. In this way, comeuppance formed, and civilization declined. Gilgamesh yearns for immortality, and chases after the dream of organism immortal.When he fails to achieve immortality, he returns to his town and spend a pennys that because he built the wall of Uruk and early(a) constructions and because they would last long after he was gone, he would thereby gain immortality. He looked at the walls, awed at the heights his people had achieved and for a moment- just a moment- all that lay behind him passed from view. 3 In the desperate of Gilgamesh immortality is a motion that frequently recurs, and is a metaphor for how Sumerians, as like all gentlemans, desire immortality except can non achieve it.Also, a possible accounting for the reason humans do not have immortality is because Gilgamesh did not obtain immortality. human beings subsisting in ancient Mesopotamia had tough relations with go ds they were responsible for natural disasters, which is how the people of ancient Sumer rationalized floods, drought, famine, and locusts. Supposedly, the gods had human emotions and could become stubborn, indignant for no reason, jealous, and have some another(prenominal) subaltern emotions. With the gods ability to create those natural disasters and at the same time harbor veto emotions, humans were fearful of the gods wrath, since the gods could be easily provoked.Before the heroic poem of Gilgamesh, a tremendous flood is released when the gods realize how imperfect humanity is. Utnapishtim had built a large boat and every living thing was stowed away inside of it enchantment the flood raged. When the flood recedes, Utnapishtim is the only human left alive along with other animals. He lets the animals free, and Enlil blesses him with immortality. The power of the gods in the epic of Gilgamesh is a metaphor for the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Because the g ods were impetuous and unpredictable, they could create disasters among the Sumerians and they could grant immortality.Acts of God, such as flooding, drought, famine, or plagues of locusts, affected entire communities. Floods were more often than not local but extremely destructive, cause a high death rate. 4 Floods were one of the largest problems in Ancient Mesopotamia. The rivers could withal be harsh and unpredictable because their flooding devastated ancient Mesopotamia. Ancient Sumerians could also erect from droughts, famine, locust, and other natural disasters. On the other hand, they could gain abundant harvest when record was compliant.Many challenges of life in ancient Sumerian history are reflected in the epic of Gilgamesh. Deforestation and flooding were the master(prenominal) issues faced in ancient Mesopotamia. These challenges were twine into the epic tale of Gilgamesh as metaphors The epic of Gilgamesh shows an understanding of ecological processes and the consequences of human exercise on the earth5 The epic of Gilgamesh was proof that Ancient Sumerians caused their own demise by deforestation, which also led to more flooding and other natural disasters.