Gilgamesh and Odysseus are well-known heroes from old epics of Mesopotamian and Greek cultures, correspondingly. The two characters have similar traits, such as courage and physical strength. However, there are also differences between the two of them. Each hero’s traits divulge fascinating information about their cultural ideals. Additionally, cross-referencing fictional individuals with real-life cultural ideals is worthwhile when examining any culture, at any point in history. Contemporary American culture, for example, appears to value physical attributes and attractiveness, more than anything. Examining Gilgamesh and Odysseus can be helpful not only in revealing details about the different cultural ideals of their times, but also in highlighting ideals within current cultures.
Gilgamesh and Odysseus are similar in some ways, but they are very different in others. Gilgamesh has phenomenal physical strength; this is his key heroic attribute. He is also brave and intelligent. Central to his character is his pride, which is perhaps a positive quality, but sometimes it impacts on his decision-making capability and, furthermore, he is a serial womanizer. Genetically, he is one third human and two-thirds god: he is mortal. This is a common theme in myths: the hero is almost always part human. As Rivkah Kluger points out: “the hero is an intuitive anticipation of the development towards human consciousness of the divine in man” (Kluger 23). The most important thing to him is that he is remembered once he is gone. There are plenty of examples to demonstrate this. In the following lines, Gilgamesh boasts that the imminent war with Huwawa, the monster who guards the forest, will secure his fame forever more:
“You who have fought with lions and with wolves, you know what danger is. Where is your courage?
If I should fall, my name will be secure. 'It was Gilgamesh who fought against Huwawa!
It is Gilgamesh who will venture into the Forest and cut down the Cedar down and win the glory.
My fame will be secure to all my sons’” (Epic of Gilgamesh, 2700BC, p. 17).
As Tzvi Abusch points out, Gilgamesh “must find ways to express his tremendous personal energy but still act in a manner that accords with the limits and responsibilities imposed upon him by his society and the universe” (Abusch 1). However, as the epic moves forwards, Gilgamesh’s character starts to shift in that he eventually notices his own mortality. At this point, he does not accept his mortality and, instead, he tries to change it:
“I am going to die!—am I not like Enkidu?!Deep sadness penetrates my core,I fear death, and now roam the wilderness—I will set out to the region of Utanapishtim, son of Ubartutu, and will go with utmost dispatch!” (Epic of Gilgamesh, 2700BC, 9.2-5).
Odysseus is like Gilgamesh in that he also has advanced physical strength and bravery. He is also similar in that he is noble and confident about his authority. However, he is different from Gilgamesh in that his most important heroic characteristic is intellect. While Gilgamesh depends on his strength to win out in battles, particularly with monsters, Odysseus depends on his power of reason or, as Jeffrey Barnouw puts it, “practical intelligence” (Barnouw 1).
Both heroes are keen for notoriety, though. In the following passage, Odysseus shows off about his fame: “I am Odysseus son of Laertes, known before all men for the study of crafty designs, and my fame goes up to the heavens” (Homer, 1700BC, Book Nine, lines 19-20). Odysseus is similar to Gilgamesh in that he has a tendency to let his pride morph into conceit. Again like his peer, this pride can obscure his capability to make sensible decisions. This is most apparent when he teases the Cyclops and this then sparks a disagreement with Poseidon. Odysseus’ need for fame led him into exile for seventeen years.
The attributes of Gilgamesh and Odysseus disclose a great deal about Mesopotamian and Greek cultural ideals. Both cultures seemed to value physical strength. Both heroes had superior strength; this is made apparent very early on in both epics. Both Mesopotamian and Greek cultures also appeared to place importance on pride and self-belief. The sections quoted above show that both characters are fixated on winning, but both are also sure that they will indeed conquer. The traits of these fictional heroes imply that the two cultures differ in that Mesopotamian culture respected men who were popular with women, while Greek culture preferred men with high intelligence.
Exploring the characters of Gilgamesh and Odysseus gives indications of the Mesopotamian and Greek cultures. In the same way, modern day heroes can reveal a lot about current cultural ideals. For example, contemporary American culture’s heroes are usually very physically attractive, at least conventionally. Another ideal seems to be courage, suggesting that this particular ideal has remained important over centuries. Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft, for example, is physically striking; she also has a strong body and sizeable breasts. She is persistently courageous and succeeds at physical challenges. Additionally, she seems to be a good person; she battles for the side of good and wants justice for everyone. The protagonist of the Indiana Jones films is a similar heroic example. Similar to Croft, he is physically attractive, courageous and physically competent. He takes on missions to help people, normally women, and the women he helps tend to fall in love with him.
Gilgamesh and Odysseus are fascinating fictional people to examine, mainly because they embody their times’ Mesopotamian and Greek cultural ideals, but also because they show a contrast to contemporary cultural ideals and what is seen as desirable in people nowadays. The two ancient heroes both have the attributes of super-human physical strength, courage and self-belief. They are quite different in other respects: Gilgamesh is a ladies’ man, while Odysseus is highly intelligent. These attributes seem to represent what was thought to be desired in their corresponding times and cultures. Likewise, in contemporary American culture, fictional heroes such as Lara Croft and Indiana Jones embody the attributes thought to be required in today’s America.
Works Cited
Abusch, Tzvi. “The Development and Meaning of the Epic of Gilgamesh: An Interpretive Essay.” Journal of the American Oriental Society. 2001. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
Barnouw, Jeffrey. “Odysseus, Hero of Practical Intelligence: Deliberation and Signs in Homer's Odyssey.” University Press of America. 2004. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
Homer. The Odyssey. 1700 BC. Print.
Spielberg, Stephen. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Lucasfilm. 1981. Film.
The Epic of Gilgamesh. Clarendon Press. Oxford. 2700 BC. Print.
West, Simon. Tomb Raider. Silver Films. 2001. Film.
Kluger, Rivkah. “The Archetypal Significance of Gilgamesh: A Modern Ancient Hero.” Google Books. 2001. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.
