Greeks and Mesopotamians are well known for their myths about gods and how they affect the human existence and can determine your fate. Shared amongst them also are epic tales of heroic demigods and mortals who with great courage, help from the gods and bravery defeat many obstacles. The aim of this study is to examine the heroic qualities of two characters of Greek and Mesopotamian mythology; Gilgamesh and Odysseus. Special attention will be taken to ascertain how alike and different they were and what these heroic exploits teaches us about the ideals and expectations of Greek and Mesopotamian culture as it relates to heroism.
Ancient Mesopotamians spoke of Gilgamesh a ‘demi-god’ who boasts superhuman strength. Gilgamesh, son of king Lugalbanda and the Cow goddess Ninsun was King of Uruk a Sumerian city. If he was truly a historical person Gilgamesh would have lived around 2600 B.C and lived for 126 years. (Mark, 2009). The Epic of Gilgamesh tells the tale of the King and Enkidu, who was formed from clay and saliva by Aruru the goddess of creation to rid Gilgamesh of his arrogance. Enkidu later became his friend who accompanied him on many heroic exploits. One such exploit speaks of Gilgamesh and Enkidu journeying to the cedar forests to defeat Humbaba the terrible, guardian of the forest. Before he embarks on this journey, Gilgamesh is cautioned by the elders to trust not only his strength but to be precise with each strike. He is also advised to let Enkidu go ahead of him as a protector. (Carnahan,1998, chap 3) he received this caution as Gilgamesh was said to possess superhuman strength but Enkidu knew the path to the forests. The tale comes to a head when Gilgamesh defeats Humbaba the terrible.
There is also the story of Odysseus, son of Laertes and Anticlea and king of Ithaca. He was known for his cleverness, intelligence and his resourcefulness. He too went on many epic journeys. Most noteworthy of them Odysseus and the Cyclops Polyphemus. The tale as seen in Odyssey 9 speaks of Odysseus and his crew who are shipwrecked on a land of “Cyclopes and goats innumerable” ( Homer, 2011, p.105 ) Odysseus and a few of his men seek out the Cyclops to seek his assistance. To his dismay, the Cyclops is heartless and devours some of his crew. Odysseus, however, was able to use his guile skill and resourcefulness to defeat the Cyclops and departs the island safely. His cleverness is seen when he calls himself “No man” getting the Cyclopes drunk and defeating him. (Homer,2011, p. 354-371)
Gilgamesh and Odysseus though two different heroes from different time periods share similar characteristic as it relates to their heroic exploits. According to the Oxford Dictionaries online, a hero may be defined as “a person of superhuman qualities and often semi-divine origin, in particular, one whose exploits were the subject of ancient Greek myths.” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2016) This definition supports the fact that these two characters were strong heroes with legendary status. Both heroes had superhuman qualities; Gilgamesh was granted physical strength while Odysseus was given mental strength. Gilgamesh, though entrusted with superhuman strength did look to the gods to help him on his mission. This is evidenced in chapter III in The Epic of Gilgamesh where Gilgamesh goes with Enkidu to see the wise queen Ninsun so that she would advise him on a wise path before embarking on his journey. (Caranahan, 1998, chap 3) In like manner, Odysseus also relied on the help of the Gods though he was considered intelligent and wise. In the Odyssey 9, Odysseus speaks of being guided safely to shore through a dense mist by a God. (Homer,2000, par.105). Another similarity between these two characters as seen in these heroic exploits was that they also entrusted others to assist them, for Gilgamesh it was Enkidu and for Odysseus, it was his comrades. It was these individuals who helped to make their victories possible. We can also glean from the readings that these individuals also looked to them for guidance and protection.
Odysseus and Gilgamesh shared another common trait; self-confidence and a strong sense of will and determination. In the Odyssey, Odysseus can be seen taunting the Cyclops of his victory much to the dismay of his comrades who petitioned him to dissuade from “provoking a savage man to wrath” (Homer,2000, par.480). Another important similarity is, both these epics give insight as to aspects of the ancient world’s culture as it relates to their views of the Gods and heroes.
A number of differences can be observed between Gilgamesh and Odysseus for starters, Gilgamesh defeated Humbaba the terrible with brute force while Odysseus resorted to cleverness and resourcefulness to defeat the Cyclops. Noteworthy as well is that while both are epic heroes, Gilgamesh was semi-mortal while Odysseus was mortal. In the Epic of Gilgamesh Humbaba the terrible is seen pleading to Gilgamesh to spare him, offering to be his servant and provide him with as many trees he desires (Canahan, 1998, chap. 5) on the other hand Odysseus enrages the Cyclops who prays to Poseidon to stop Odysseus from reaching his home and that death should come to his comrades. (Homer,2000,par.526)
These epics reveal a lot about the ideals of Ancient Mesopotamians and Greece. For one, it alludes to their polytheistic nature. Gods are attached to natural occurrences and elements. In Greek and Mesopotamian mythology emphasis is also placed on honoring the gods. In the epic of Gilgamesh, it is evident that the people believed in his prowess and saw him as a heroic figure and also a great king. Nonetheless, they also knew of Gilgamesh mortal limitations. The story illustrates to us the belief of the people in the powers of the gods to influence the lives of men. There are several Greek values displayed in the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops one such value is that of hospitality which was important in Greek culture. In the story, Odysseus seeks out the Cyclops to see if he would extend hospitality to him and his men. (Homer,2000, par. 256). These stories also indicate to us that gods were not the only ones to be worshiped. Heroes were often times worshiped and revered.
In ancient times belief systems centered around religion and life and death. As society has changed, and our morals beliefs and values have changed, so has society’s concept of who a role model or hero is. In today’s society, people are often misled by the glitz and glamor of Hollywood as the myths and legends of ancient times. People no longer look to the savior the selfless or the fearless as role models as they did in ancient times. Rather, for many, popularity fame and riches have become the prerequisites for role models. On speaking of why heroes are important Scott Labarge noted that heroes today are those persons whom one aspires to be like. He also noted that our definition of a hero is determined by those morals we hold dear for example; courage or justice. This means then that our ideas about heroes or role models do not remain constant from one person to the next. (Labarge,2016.par 3). People define role models or heroes based on personal beliefs and life experiences and aspirations. Due to the change of morals and values that society holds dear today, they have become somewhat different from views of ancient times. For example, a teenager who wishes to become a singing sensation might have a role model such as Mariah Carey while on the other hand, another individual may choose Martin Luther king.
The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Odyssey had many similarities and differences. They were similar in that they both qualified to the ordeals of ancient heroes. On the other hand, they were different in that they held opposing heroic qualities one possessed brute strength and the other cleverness. Both stories give an indication into the cultural, religious and spiritual aspects of Sumerian and Greek lifestyle. It is also an indication of how different society’s views of heroism are today. It must be noted, however, that values of these stories still hold value today. Values such as; self-control, courage, the determination in the face of obstacles and challenges, self-confidence and so on.
References
Carnahan, W. 1998 The Epic of Gilgamesh. Retrieved from http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/tab3.htm
Hero. (2016) The Oxford Dictionaries online. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/hero
Homer. (2000-2011) Homer Odessey 9. Retrieved from http://www.theoi.com/Text/HomerOdyssey9.html
Labarge, S. 2016 Why Heroes are Important. Retrieved from
https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/more/resources/heroism-why-heroes-are-important/
Mark, J. 2013 Gilgamesh. Retrieved from. http://www.ancient.eu/gilgamesh/
