Source recordAncient text
Epic of Gilgamesh
Sin-leqi-unninni (standard version) · c. 2100 BCE (earliest versions) · Akkadian/Sumerian
Ancient text
Epic of Gilgamesh
Sin-leqi-unninni (standard version)
The oldest known epic literature, following the hero-king Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu. Contains the earliest flood narrative and themes of mortality.
About this work
The oldest known epic literature, following the hero-king Gilgamesh and his companion Enkidu. Contains the earliest flood narrative and themes of mortality.
Where to start
Andrew George's Penguin Classics translation (1999) is the standard scholarly-accessible edition, with a clear introduction to the tablets' fragmentary state.
Figures in the text
Heroes and divinities who feature prominently, with where they appear.
Key scenes
Turning points of the work, in reading order.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu Meet
Enkidu wrestles Gilgamesh to a standstill, and the two become inseparable friends.
The Slaying of Humbaba
Gilgamesh and Enkidu journey to the Cedar Forest and kill its guardian, Humbaba.
The Bull of Heaven
Gilgamesh spurns the goddess Ishtar, who sends the Bull of Heaven to punish him; the heroes kill it, and the gods condemn Enkidu to die.
The Death of Enkidu
Enkidu falls ill and dies, plunging Gilgamesh into grief and fear of his own mortality.
The Quest for Immortality
Gilgamesh seeks out the flood survivor Utnapishtim, fails to attain immortality, and returns to Uruk reconciled to his mortal fate.
Passages
Direct quotations are distinguished from editorial paraphrases and records awaiting verification.
“"Gilgamish, I will reveal thee a hidden matter . . . I'll tell thee: There is a plant like a thorn with its root (?) [deep down in the ocean], Like unto those of the briar (in sooth) its prickles will scratch [thee], (Yet) if thy hand reach this plant, [thou’lt surely find life (everlasting)] ."”
The Epic of Gilgamish · Tablet XI, 265–270
Translation: R. Campbell Thompson
The Epic of Gilgamish, trans. R. Campbell Thompson (1928), public-domain Sacred Texts transcription; English-only replacement of prior unverified wording. Continuous English translation at lines 265–270, checked against the cited transcription. Source capitalization, quotation marks, spacing before terminal punctuation, ellipsis, editorial question mark, and bracketed restorations are retained; only line breaks were joined into a paragraph. Akkadian text was not retained or certified. English transcription checked 2026-09-23.
Read source“"(Nay, but) this plant is a plant of great wonder(?), Ur-Shanabi," said he, "Whereby a man may attain his desire—I'll take it to Erech, (Erech), the high-wall’d, and give it to eat [unto . . . .]. 'Greybeard-who-turneth-to-man-in-his-prime' is its name and I'll eat it I myself, that again I may come to my youthful condition."”
The Epic of Gilgamish · Tablet XI, 278–283
Translation: R. Campbell Thompson
The Epic of Gilgamish, trans. R. Campbell Thompson (1928), public-domain Sacred Texts transcription; English-only replacement of prior unverified wording. Continuous English translation at lines 278–283, checked against the cited transcription. Source capitalization, quotation marks, punctuation, editorial question mark, and bracketed lacuna are retained; only line breaks were joined into a paragraph. Akkadian text was not retained or certified. English transcription checked 2026-09-23.
Read sourceStories drawn from it
Retellings in the atlas that quote or cite this work.
The Epic of GilgameshepicThe world's oldest known literary epic follows Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, on his quest for immortality after the death of his beloved friend Enkidu. His journey takes him to the ends of the earth and reveals profound truths about mortality and meaning.
The Great Flood and UtnapishtimmythThe gods decree a great flood to destroy humanity, but the wise god Ea warns Utnapishtim to build a boat and save the seed of all living things. This is the oldest known flood narrative, predating the biblical story of Noah.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu - The Birth of FriendshipmythThe creation of Enkidu to balance the tyrannical Gilgamesh, his transformation from wild man to civilized hero, and the forging of history's greatest literary friendship.
About this record
By Elizabeth Stein for Mythos Atlas. About the author. Editorial notes are grounded in the site's cited sources and can be challenged through the contact page.
Dates and authorship follow standard scholarly references; for many ancient works both are approximate or disputed.