The Epic of Gilgamesh narrates the story of the mighty king Gilgamesh and his military conquests. The aggrandizement of military authority fuels Gilgamesh’s pride and leads him to pursue nearly impossible quests. This story exemplifies the exaltation of military leadership within ancient societies throughout the world. Although the Epic of Gilgamesh represents many other characteristics of this time period such as patriarchy and the anxieties of the agro-urban revolution, this story definitively proves the exaltation of military leadership. Throughout this paper I will use textual evidence and interpretations from the story to explain and prove that military leadership played a great importance within this ancient society. Gilgamesh is the
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Due to Gilgamesh’s great superiority and intimidation, no man would stand up to him as the author states “he has no equal when his weapons are brandished” The Epic of Gilgamesh I, 80. As a result of the citizen’s helplessness, the people summon Aruru to create the equal of Gilgamesh that is mighty in strength to save the people of Uruk from the tyranny. The Goddess Aruru created the hero Enkidu in the wild that is described by a hunter as the mightiest in the land with the strength as mighty as a rock from the sky. As Enkidu hears of the tyranny caused by Gilgamesh, he asks Shamhat to take him to Uruk stating that “I will challenge him, for my strength is mighty, I will vaunt myself in Uruk, saying “I am the mightiest!” There I will change the way things are ordered” Epic of Gilgamesh, I 220. This further portrays the idea of military leadership and that the mightiest will rule the …show more content…
At the time these leaders were treated like royalty and were often praised for their accomplishments like Endiku and Gilgamesh were throughout the epic with a statue being build for Enkidu, the second most exalted military leader in the epic. With the support of evidence from the story of Gilgamesh and interpretations of ancient society, I explain how and why ancient societies exalted their military leaders the way they did. This impacted social, political and economic aspects of their time period due to the important role that military leaders have in such a society such as the saving of the kingdom and rewards they gain for their people as a result of their
Due to Gilgamesh’s great superiority and intimidation, no man would stand up to him as the author states “he has no equal when his weapons are brandished” The Epic of Gilgamesh I, 80. As a result of the citizen’s helplessness, the people summon Aruru to create the equal of Gilgamesh that is mighty in strength to save the people of Uruk from the tyranny. The Goddess Aruru created the hero Enkidu in the wild that is described by a hunter as the mightiest in the land with the strength as mighty as a rock from the sky. As Enkidu hears of the tyranny caused by Gilgamesh, he asks Shamhat to take him to Uruk stating that “I will challenge him, for my strength is mighty, I will vaunt myself in Uruk, saying “I am the mightiest!” There I will change the way things are ordered” Epic of Gilgamesh, I 220. This further portrays the idea of military leadership and that the mightiest will rule the …show more content…
At the time these leaders were treated like royalty and were often praised for their accomplishments like Endiku and Gilgamesh were throughout the epic with a statue being build for Enkidu, the second most exalted military leader in the epic. With the support of evidence from the story of Gilgamesh and interpretations of ancient society, I explain how and why ancient societies exalted their military leaders the way they did. This impacted social, political and economic aspects of their time period due to the important role that military leaders have in such a society such as the saving of the kingdom and rewards they gain for their people as a result of their