The Epic of Gilgamesh - a treasury of Mesopotamian poetry - was created over thousands of years by two peoples - the Sumerians and the Akkadians. Separate Sumerian songs about Gilgamesh and Enkidu have been preserved. They have the same enemy, Humbaba (Huwava), who guards the sacred cedars. Their exploits are monitored by the gods, who bear Sumerian names in Sumerian songs and Akkadian names in the Epic of Gilgamesh. But the Sumerian songs lack the connecting core found by the Akkadian poet. The strength of character of the Akkadian Gilgamesh, the greatness of his soul, is not in external manifestations, but in his relationship with the natural man Enkidu. The Epic of Gilgamesh is the greatest hymn to friendship in world literature, which not only helps to overcome external obstacles, but transforms and ennobles.

The child of nature Enkidu, getting acquainted with the benefits of urban civilization, by the force of fate encounters the king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, a selfish man, spoiled by power. Equal in physical strength, but integral in character, the uncorrupted natural man gains a moral victory over Gilgamesh. He takes him to the steppe and the mountains, frees him from everything superficial, turns him into a man in the highest sense of the word.

The main test for Gilgamesh is not a clash with the guardian of the wild, untouched by the ax cedar forest, Humbaba, but overcoming the temptations of the goddess of love and civilization Ishtar. The powerful goddess offers the hero everything he could only dream of before meeting Enkidu - power not in one city, but throughout the world, wealth, immortality. But Gilgamesh, ennobled by friendship with the man of nature, rejects the gifts of Ishtar and motivates his refusal with arguments that Enkidu could put forward: her enslavement of free animals - curbing the freedom-loving horse, invention of traps for the king of beasts lion, transformation of the servant-gardener into a spider, whose destiny becomes hopeless work.

Thus, for the first time, already at the dawn of civilization, an idea was put forward, which poets and thinkers would then rediscover over centuries and millennia - the idea of ​​hostility between civilization and nature, the injustice of the god-sanctified relations of property and power, turning man into a slave of passions, the most dangerous of which were profit and ambition.

Debunking the merits of Ishtar in the development of nature in the interests of civilization, the author of the poem turns the ambitious Gilgamesh into a rebel-god-fighter. Understanding perfectly where the danger comes from, the gods decide to destroy Enkidu. Dying, the child of nature curses those who contributed to his humanization, which brought him nothing but suffering.

It would seem that Enkidu's death is the end of everything. And this would naturally be the end of the story about Gilgamesh, returning him to his native Uruk. But the author of the poem forces his hero to perform a new, most outstanding feat. If earlier Gilgamesh denounced one goddess Ishtar, now he rebels against the decision of all the gods to kill Enkidu and goes to the underworld to restore his friend’s life. By this he also rebels against age-old injustice - the gods retained immortality only for themselves.

The problem of life and death, as is clear from the funeral rites of the most distant times, has always worried humanity. But for the first time in world history, its formulation and solution are given at the level of a tragic understanding by a thinking person of the injustice of separation from the world and loved ones, his failure to accept the immutable law of the destruction of all living things.

The young Marx, who lived in an era when the texts of Sumer and Akkad had not yet been discovered, highly valued the image of the hero of Greek mythology Prometheus, saying that he was “the noblest saint and martyr in the philosophical calendar.” Now we know that the god-fighter Prometheus had a great predecessor, Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh's feat, beyond anything a mortal could imagine, does not lead to the desired result. But, even having been defeated, Gilgamesh remains unconquered and continues to evoke in everyone a sense of pride in his humanity, loyalty to friendship, and courage.

Table I

Where the bright Euphrates rushes to the sea of ​​water, the city of Uruk rises. There are no more powerful walls than this anywhere in the whole world, as if not just one ruler erected them, but seven wise men at once put their spirit and labor into them. Having climbed these walls, walk between the battlements and feel the bricks with your hand. Remember Gilgamesh, who saw everything to the edge of the universe, who told about the times before the flood, who walked around all the mountains, who went on a long journey and returned to his city, where he built the temple of Eanna.

Gilgamesh was a king of Uruk, two-thirds god, one-third man. Among mortals he had no equal and did not know where to apply his strength. He went on a rampage day and night with his faithful retinue, not leaving his son to his parent, nor his mother to his daughter. And the people prayed to the great goddess Arur:

You, who gave birth to Gilgamesh, who gave him immeasurable strength as a gift, create a husband to be his equal. Let Gilgamesh match his courage. Let him compete in strength so that we can taste peace.

And Aruru heeded this request. She created in her heart the likeness of Anu. Then she washed her hands in water, plucked off a lump of clay, threw it into the steppe and molded En-kida with her hands. His body was covered with thick fur. On the head there is hair like Nisaba's. Together with gazelles he grazed in the steppes, he crowded with the animals at the watering hole, delighting his heart with moisture, like all creatures of the earth.

One day, at a watering hole, a young hunter saw him. He saw it and froze without moving. His heart began to pound, his cheeks turned pale. Returning home, the hunter told his father about what had frightened him.

A parent, not lacking in wisdom, gave his son advice:

Listen, O my son! You won't be able to cope with the husband you met. But the greatest warrior, like the immortal gods, lives in Uruk, surrounded by a wall. His hands are strong like the stone of heaven. Go, my son, to Gilgamesh, appearing before his eyes, and tell everything without concealment.

The hunter appeared in Uruk and told Gilgamesh about what he saw in the steppe.

The king became thoughtful, and his face became darker than the night, wrinkles cut across his forehead. But then the face brightened from the thought and from the decision that the gods had sent down. The hero headed to the temple, to the house of the Lady Ishtar, to whose will both people and animals of the steppe are submissive. At the sight of the king, the harlots who meet in the temple with those who seek Ishtar’s mercy poured out and each tried to attract attention with her gaze and gesture. But he called only Chess, who stood out among the others with her beauty.

No, that’s not why I came,” Gilgamesh told her sternly, “what foreigners come to your famous temple for.” You will have to leave the temple and go to the steppe, where I recently had a rival. With the art you possess, attract his wild heart, let him wander after you, like a lamb on shaky legs trailing behind its uterus, or like a foal in the field running after its mare.

Six days pass, and each of them seemed to the hero as long as a month. Abandoning the affairs and amusements that pleased his heart, the king waited at the gate, hoping that the woman would not be touched by the lions, that, having met a giant who did not know a woman’s affection, she would win and show the way to Uruk.

Table II

And then he saw a walking giant in the distance. His entire body is covered with fur. On the head there is hair like Nisaba's. His shoulders are broad, his arms and legs are powerful, like cedars that are delivered to the city from the distant mountains of Lebanon. Where is the harlot? She trails behind the giant, like a lamb on shaky legs, like a foal in a field behind a mother mare.

Now a cry rang out, familiar to everyone in Uruk. When they heard him, the husbands usually locked the doors so that their wives would not come into Gilga-mesh's sight, and the fathers took their daughters away and hid them anywhere. Now the doors are open. Forgotten past fears. The townspeople are running to the walls to see the battle of the great heroes from above. And many people wish the newcomer victory in their hearts. Perhaps he will be able to free them from fear, and the new ruler of Uruk will be calmer than the previous one?

Meanwhile, the heroes grabbed each other, trying to topple each other. Their feet went into the ground up to their knees. The earth groaned in pain, such as it had not known since birth. The veins of the heroes swelled. Breathing became heavy. Drops of salty sweat covered their foreheads and cheeks.

Why are we stuck like sheep? - The king was the first to exhale and weaken his muscles.

And so they stand opposite each other, drying in the sun. Not only the people of Uruk, but even Shamash, who has circled the whole world since the beginning, have never seen such a fight.

“You brought me to reason by force,” Gilgamesh said to Enkidu. - Before, I thought that I could defeat anyone. But we turned out to be equal. Why do we need to quarrel?

Seeing the heroes walking in an embrace, the people of Uruk ran to meet them, carried out baskets of bread, and brought jugs of strong drink with a bow.

What is this? - Enkidu asked, turning his face to the harlot. - What is this, like a stone that has been smoothed by water?

This is bread, human food! - Chess Enkidu said. - Taste, born in the desert, and you will be like people.

And this? - Enkidu asked, touching the jug.

Drink! - answered the harlot. “And you’ll immediately forget the desert in which you grazed with gazelles.” This is a drink that gladdens the soul. Those who drink it are like immortal gods.

Enkidu tempted Enkidu with enough bread. The strong drink drank seven jugs. The soul was happy. The face was shining. He felt his hairy body. He anointed himself with oil, like people. I put on clothes. Became human. Days passed. Gilgamesh took his friend around Uruk. Showed houses and temples. Enkidu was not surprised at anything. The face expressed boredom. And suddenly tears streamed from my eyes.

What's wrong with you, my brother? - asked Gilgamesh.

“Tears are choking my throat,” Enkidu answered. - I'm sitting idle. Strength is running out. Gilgamesh thought:

There is a matter.

What's the matter? - asked Enkidu. His tears dried up instantly, like dew from the gaze of Shamash. - I heard that somewhere by the sea in a cedar forest lives the Fierce Humbaba, the guardian of the forest. If we destroy it, we will drive out this evil from the world.

“I know that forest,” Enkidu replied. - I was there in the neighborhood when I was wandering with the animals. There is a ditch dug around the entire forest. Who will penetrate into its middle? Humbaba's voice is stronger than the storm. His lips are fire. Uneven fight in Humbaba's home.

“I want to climb the cedar mountain,” Gilgamesh said. - Together with you we will overcome Humbaba.

And the king called the craftsmen for whom Uruk, fenced with walls, is famous, and addressed them:

Oh, masters! Fan the furnaces with bellows! Let them burn with hot fire! Throw at them the green stones that are delivered from the islands. And when the copper pours out, make axes that suit our hands, cast large daggers. The masters bowed to the king. And fire shot up over Uruk, and from a distance the city seemed like a fiery furnace. Having learned what the ruler had planned, the people of Uruk left their homes. The elders walked sedately ahead. And the noise of the voices of those gathered was like the sound of waters when the Euphrates flooded.

And the king left the palace with Enkidu. Raising his hand, he addressed the people:

Listen, elders of Uruk! People of Uruk, listen! I want to see the one whose name, like fire, scorches the whole world. I want to defeat Humbaba in the cedar forest. I will chop cedar and glorify my name.

The elders answered all together:

You are still young, Gilgamesh, and you follow the call of your heart. Humbaba is powerful. The forest is surrounded by ditches. Who can defeat Humbaba? The fight with him is unequal.

Hearing these words, Gilgamesh turned around and looked at Enkidu:

Should I now be afraid of Humbaba, O elders? If one person can't climb a steep one, two will climb it. A rope twisted in half will not break soon. Two lion cubs will defeat a lion. I found a strong friend. I’m ready to go together with him against any enemy.

Table III

The elders blessed the brothers-in-arms and said a word to them on the way:

Don't rely on your strength, Gilgamesh. Be cool and precise in your movements. Let Enkidu walk ahead, for he knows the paths of the steppes and will find the way to the cedars. Take care of your friend, Enkidu, give him your back on the uneven road, be the first in battles. You know their laws better. We entrust you with a king, you are obliged to return Gilgamesh.

When the friends left the city, the following words came out of Gilgamesh’s mouth:

Friend, let's visit Egalmach to appear before the eyes of the great goddess Ninsun2. There is nothing hidden from her in the world.

Having appeared in Egalmi, they entered the house of Ninsun. Gilgamesh said to her with a bow:

Oh mother! I entered a road whose outcome was in the fog. I want to fight with Humbaba, the formidable guardian of cedars. I will not return as long as evil remains in the world. So lift up, goddess, your gaze and voice to Shamapgu! Say a word for us to him!

Leaving the heroes alone, the goddess went into her chambers. Ninsun washed her body with a soapy root, changed her clothes and put on a necklace that was worthy of her breasts, girded herself with a ribbon, crowned her head with a tiara and climbed the steps to the roof. There she poured a libation in honor of Shamash and raised her hands to him:

Shamash, fair and bright, illuminating heaven and earth. Why did you give me Gilgamesh? Why did you insert an irrepressible heart into his chest? Why take this feat on the road when his life is in danger? Why does Gilgamesh need to fight the evil that nests in the world? But if you did this, take care of him! Remember our son as you make your daily journey! When you go into darkness, entrust it to the guards of the night!

Having said a prayer, the goddess returned to her brothers-in-arms. She put a talisman around Enkidu’s neck, and handed her son a magic loaf of bread that she had baked herself, saying that there would be enough for both of them for the journey.

Table IV

And the brothers-in-arms set off along the path of Shamash, guarded by his gaze. Having finished the day, they stopped for a rest, broke off a piece, then broke off another and ate it. By morning the loaf had become round, as if it had come out of the oven.

And another day passed, and again a piece was broken off, followed by another that was broken off and eaten. By morning the loaf had become round, as if it had come out of the oven.

Having traveled six weeks to the third day, they saw a mountain. Gilgamesh climbed the mountain to offer her a prayer for a dream:

Mountain! Mountain! Send me a prophetic and auspicious dream, so that we can reach our goal, without knowing fear, in order to find out whose victory the battle will end.

Having descended to the foot of the mountain, Gilgamesh saw Enkidu. Without wasting time, Enkidu built a hut that looked like a bird’s nest and made a bed out of leaves. Gilgamesh sat down on the leaves, rested his chin on his knee, sleep overcame the hero - the destiny of man. Enkidu, sitting outside, guarded him vigilantly until he heard the excited voice of his friend at midnight.

Did you call me, my guardian? - Gilgamesh asked Enkidu. - If you didn’t call, why did I suddenly wake up? In a dream I saw a mountain under which you had erected a hut. You and I are standing at the cliff, and the mountain has collapsed on us. Explain this dream, Enkidu!

Enkidu, turning away for a moment to hide his anxiety from his friend, began to interpret the dream:

My friend, your dream is beautiful, it is precious to us. Everything you saw in your dream does not inspire me with fear. We will grab the evil Humbaba and throw him down as if he were falling from a mountain. Let's throw his remains to the predators for desecration. Now let’s go to bed so that in the morning we can meet Shamash’s gaze and hear his word.

And the brothers-in-arms set off again. Having finished the day, they stopped for a rest, dug a well in front of the face of Shamash, got water from it, broke off one piece of bread, broke off another piece, quenched their hunger and thirst. Gilgamesh fell asleep again and, waking up, told about the dream:

In a dream I saw the earth, all covered in deep wrinkles, like the forehead of an old man. The animals were frightened by something. They were fleeing from someone. I chased the bull and grabbed its horn. He led me to a watering hole. I bent down to drink, and when I got up I didn’t see the bull.

My friend! Your dream is beautiful,” Enkidu told his brother-in-law. “It wasn’t the bull that appeared to you, but the bright Shamash himself, who disappears at the end of the day, the god who saved Lugalbanda when he was left in the mountains.” Shamash quenched your thirst so that we could accomplish an act that the world has never known. - And again the brothers-in-arms walk along Shamash’s well-trodden road, guarded by his gaze.

Table V

And so they cross the ditch, surrounded by cedar forest, and enter the canopy of the trees. Everything is quiet around. Humbaba silently sneaks up to the heroes. The powerful body is dressed in magical robes. They radiate death. But what is it? A storm suddenly struck from the clear sky. Shamash, noticing the danger, released eight winds. Thunder rumbled. Lightning crossed like the swords of giants. And Humbaba spun like a sliver in a whirlpool. A terrible scream escaped from his open mouth. And with it a plea for mercy.

“Don’t listen to him, oh my friend,” said Enkidu. - This evil monster is worthy of destruction. But we must first neutralize his clothes. They radiate death. Without them, Humbaba is not scary.

Oh no! - Gilgamesh answered. - If you catch a bird, the chickens will not run away. They will gather around the corpse, and we will easily defeat them.

Gilgamesh picked up his ax, weighing three talents, pulled out his sword from his belt, and hit Humbaba right in the back of the head with his ax. Enkidu raised his ax and hit Humbaba in the chest. On the third powerful blow, Humbaba fell to the ground. The monster's violent members no longer moved. And the cedars suddenly swayed and groaned like people, for their guardian had died.

Now let's get to the chickens! - said Gilgamesh, and immediately he tore one robe from Humbaba’s body and threw it into a hole with water. And in the pit the water began to boil, emitting hot steam. Enkidu threw the net over the other six clothes, which were crawling like snakes through the grass, and threw them into the same pit.

Now let's take on the cedars! - said Gilgamesh, and he hit the trunk with his axe.

The cedar forest shook from the blow. Covering his face with his hands, Enkidu fell to the ground.

What are you doing, my friend?! You are destroying a living body. I smell blood. It is similar to a human one, only of a different color.

Table VI

Enkidu, immersed in sleep, wandered through the steppe with gazelles, Gilgamesh, having awakened, washed himself, threw his curls from his forehead onto his back, parted with everything dirty, and put on clean clothes. Shining with his beauty, he sat down next to his sleeping friend. Ishtar descended from the sky. Something stirred in the heart of the fierce lioness that seemed new to her, although it had visited her many times before. With these words she addressed the hero:

I want, Gilgamesh, for you to become my husband. You will receive a chariot from me as a gift - golden wheels, amber drawbars. And hurricanes of mighty mules will harness it. They will take you to our house. And as soon as you step on its threshold, the cedars’ resinous aroma will intoxicate you. You will see what others cannot see. You will sit on a throne made of gold. The kings and rulers of the earth will kneel before you. All the hills and plains will pay tribute to you. Goats and sheep will give you twins and triplets. Your donkey will catch up with an onager even with a load. And your chariots will be the first to run, and oxen under the yoke will have no equal in the world.

Shut up! I won't take you as my wife! - Gilgamesh interrupted the goddess. - You are like a brazier that goes out in the cold. You're a thin door that lets in the wind from outside. A house that collapsed on its owner, an elephant that trampled its blanket, tar that scalded its bearer, fur with holes, a sandal that pinched his foot. It is better to remember whom you loved and who remained grateful for your love. Dumuzi, whom you loved first, suffers year after year. You loved the shepherd bird - you beat him, broke off his wings. He lives in the middle of the forest, filling it with the cry: “Wings! Where are my wings? You loved the mighty lion. What he received from love: seven seven traps in the steppe. You fell in love with the horse, brave in battle. You drove him into the stable, rewarded him with a bridle and a whip, deprived him of clear streams, muddy water She gave me a drink and ordered me to jump until I dropped. She also gave her love to the goatherd. He baked you cakes in the ashes and brought you sucklings every day. You turned him into a wolf. The shepherds chase him, the dogs, guarding the sheep, grab him by the thighs. Ishullanu, the keeper of your father's garden, was loved by you. He brought bunches of dates to your bed in the morning. He rejected your claims, you turned him into a spider, condemned him to weave a web between trees, to be afraid of the earth3. And now your lust has turned to me. You will treat me as you treated them.

Hearing these words, the goddess became enraged, soared straight into the sky like a wasp and appeared before the heavenly throne of her parent An.

Oh, my father! - she screamed, sobbing. -Gilgamesh insulted me. I listed all my sins. He put me to shame, and let him be punished.

But you were the first to offend King Gilgamesh with your proposal.

Let him be punished! - the goddess roared. - Create a bull to trample the wicked in his chambers. If mortals insult us, immortals, the gifts that they bring daily will become scarce, your throne will shake, father! That's why you must help me in my revenge. If you don’t wish, I will descend into the lower kingdom and from there I will release the dead so that they can devour all the living.

I agree! - said Anu in fright. “There will be a bull for you, just leave the dead in the lower world so that they don’t mix with the living.”

And at that same moment, with a wave of the hand of the ruler of heaven, a mighty bull was created, and the goddess drove him straight to earth to her hated city. Having reached the Euphrates, the bull drank its water in seven sips and entered Uruk on dry ground. A hole appeared from his breath. Hundreds of men fell into this pit. With his second breath, another hole opened up. Two hundred Urukians died in it. Hearing the noise, the brother-friends came out to meet the bull. Enkidu, rushing from behind, grabbed the bull by the tail, and the bull turned around. Gilgamesh struck him with a dagger between the horns. The bull fell to the ground, already lifeless. And with the same dagger, Gilgamesh tore open the side of the bull and pulled out a huge heart. He brought it as a gift to Shamash.

Woe to you, Gilgamesh! You disgraced me by killing the bull!

Enkidu heard these speeches, tore out the tail from the bull and threw it straight into the goddess’s face with the words:

If you had been closer, I would have dealt with you in my own way, I would have wrapped the intestines of the bull that you unleashed on Uruk.

The goddess began to weep and called on the harlots of the city, who served her faithfully, to mourn the bull. Gilgamesh called the craftsmen to straighten the bull's horns. They contained six measures of oil. The hero gave this oil to his father Lugalbanda, and nailed the horns above the bed.

Having washed their hands, the brothers-in-arms walked through the crowded streets of Uruk. Then Gilgamesh arranged a great feast in the palace. Tired, the heroes fell asleep nearby.

Table VII

Waking up in the middle of the night, Gilgamesh told his dream to his brother:

I dreamed of a heavenly palace. It contains a collection of immortal gods. The conversation was conducted by three gods - Anu, Enlil and Shamash, our patron, Anu said to Enlil:

And why did they kill the bull that was created by me? But this is not their sin alone. They stole the cedars of Lebanon, which were guarded by Humbaba. Let them pay for this with their lives.

No! - Enlil objected. - Let Enkidu alone die. Gilgamesh deserves forgiveness.

Why should he be punished? - Shamash intervened in the conversation. - Was it not your decision, Enlil, that both the bull and Humbaba were destroyed?

You'd better keep quiet, defender of murderers! - Enlil was furious. - I know that you are their adviser.

Hearing this story, Enkidu turned pale and turned away. His lips fluttered like the wings of a fly. Tears rolled down Gilgamesh's face.

“I don’t understand,” said Enkidu, “why I have to die.” I didn’t cut down the cedars and I convinced you not to touch them. Why will punishment fall on me?

Don't worry! - Gilgamesh said to his brother. - I will beg the gods to spare your life. I will bring riches to their altars. I will decorate them with idols with gold and silver.

Don't waste your gold and silver, Gilgamesh! The word spoken into the mouth will not return. God will never cancel his decision. Such is the fate of man! People leave the world without a trace.

Well! I'm ready to leave! - Enkidu agreed. - But I ask you, O Shamash, to take revenge on all those who made me a man. Let the hunter who told about the meeting with me be punished! Let his hand weaken and be unable to pull the bowstring! Let the arrow from his bow fly past the target! Let the beast traps bypass him! May you remain hungry all your life! Cursed be the harlot who brought me into the city! Let the drunken tramp pour liquor into her womb! Let him rip it off her neck and take her red beads for himself! Let the potter throw a lump of clay at her back! And let the silver not stay in her house! Let the vacant lot in the backyard be her bed! Let her know no other protection than the shadow of the wall! And let the cripple slap her on the cheeks! Let her wives blaspheme for remaining faithful to their spouses! For she brought dirt to me, the pure one, and she committed a deception on me, the blameless one.

You, Enkidu, are wrong,” Shamash responded. - I remove your curse to the harlot. After all, she fed you bread, which the gods deserve. And she gave her drink that is worthy of kings. And she gave you Gilgamesh as your sworn brother. And now you will die! And Gilgamesh will lay you down on a bed of sorrow. It will surround you with royal honor. And he orders the people of Uruk to mourn you. And with joy, as it pleases the gods, the mournful rite will be performed.

Table VIII

As soon as the morning light dawned, Gilgamesh, standing by the bed, sang his funeral lament:

Enkidu! My brother! Your mother is an antelope, your father is an onager, they gave birth to you! The animals gave you their milk to drink in distant pastures. In the cedar forest paths, Enkidu, you are remembered tirelessly day and night. The ledges of the wooded mountains that we climbed together are crumbling! The cypresses and cedars, among which we made our way together, are bleeding with resin! Bears roar, hyenas and tigers, ibexes and lynxes, deer, gazelles and every creature of the steppe groan! And together with them the sacred Euleus mourns, remembering your steps, Enkidu, and the bright Euphrates, where we drew water and filled our bottles. And the elders in the fenced Uruk are crying that you and I were escorted to battle! The women cannot stop crying, in front of whose eyes we killed the bull. The one who fed you bread is crying. The slave who anointed you is crying. And the servant weeps, who gave you the cup with the wine. How can I not cry for you if we are brothers! You, Enkidu, are my powerful axe, my flawless dagger, my reliable shield, my festive cloak, my armor. What kind of restless sleep is possessing you? You have become dark, you can’t hear me. I touched your heart, it doesn’t beat. My friend, I will erect an idol for you, such as has never been seen in the world.

Table IX

Unable to satiate his heart with weeping, Gilgamesh fled into the desert. Having reached the sandy hills, he fell to the ground. He immediately fell asleep, but Enkidu did not return to sleep. Waking up from the lion's roar, he sees that the lions are frolicking and playing like puppies.

Why do you not know grief? - Gilgamesh turned to the lions. - Where is your friend, with whom you crowded together at the watering hole? Enkidu, who saved you all by destroying traps?

Without waiting for an answer from the lions, Gilgamesh grabbed the ax and fell like an arrow between the lions, crushing the unconscious ones.

And again he walked through the desert until the mountains5 appeared - the border of the world. A cave was cut into the rock and locked with a copper door. That door was guarded by guards more terrible than whom people can hardly imagine. The thin legs of the scorpion spider have a hairy body, and the head is human.

It became scary for the hero. But, overcoming fear with courage, he says this to the scorpion:

Open the doors for me if you can. There is no life for me on earth. I want to see a friend, a friend who has become dust.

There is no way for mortals and no way for the dead either. Shamash leaves from here and, having walked around the entire land, enters from the other side. And how will you go, think about it, the path of Shamash himself?

“I’ll go,” Gilgamesh replied, “as sadness goes to the liver.” I will go with a sigh and a cry, with only one thought about Enkidu...

The doors opened silently, yielding to an unyielding will. Gilgamesh entered the cave, and darkness enveloped his soul. And he walked, counting his steps to measure the path that the Sun took in the darkness from sunset to sunrise. And what for the Sun was one short night, for Gilgamesh became a dozen years without light.

And yet the dawn broke, and yet the breath of the wind touched Gilgamesh’s cheeks. So, walking towards the wind, he left the gloomy cave. The grove opened up to his gaze. Fruits hung from the trees, similar to those on earth, which delight the hearts of mortals with their wondrous beauty. Reaching out to them, Gilgamesh injured his fingers, leaving droplets of blood on the dead fruit of the likeness. And it became clear to him that the trees had petrified, the trunks had become black stone, the leaves were lapis lazuli, the fruits were topaz and jasper, ruby ​​and carnelian, that this garden had been made dead to remind souls of the sweet, higher life.

Table X

Leaving the deceptive grove, Gilgamesh Ocean saw the great lower abyss. He saw a cliff above the abyss; on the cliff was a low house, without windows, with a flat roof. He approached him and saw that the doors of the house were closed, but someone’s breathing outside the door could not escape his hearing.

Who is there? - he asked loudly.

“I’m not an unknown tramp,” the hero answered the hostess, “even though I’ve seen everything in the world.” My name is Gilgamesh. I am from the city of Uruk, which is glorified by me. With my friend Enkidu, I killed the evil Humbaba, who was guarding the cedar forest. We also killed the bull that was sent against us from heaven. I scattered the mighty lions that have no memory and do not mourn like people. I am two-thirds god, one-third human.

And immediately the door opened. The hostess came out of the house and said the following:

You, who killed Humbaba and struck down the bull that was sent from heaven, why your face gloomy? Why are your cheeks hollow? Why is your head drooping?

“How can my head not droop and my face not wither,” Gilgamesh answered the hostess, “if my friend Enkidu, with whom we shared our labors, became earth, if my younger brother, the great hunter of the desert, persecutor of mountain onagers and spotted panthers, became dust? That is why, like a robber, I wander through the desert. The thought of a dead friend haunts me.

I don't know what you're looking for?! - the hostess tells the hero. - I don’t know what you’re striving for! The gods, having created man, made him mortal. They retained immortality for themselves. Leave empty worries! Dispel sad thoughts! Fill your Stomach. Sit over a bowl with your friends! Let me fill your cup, Gilgamesh, two-thirds full.

I don't need your strong drink! I'm not looking for your advice. Tell me better, mistress, how to cross this sea. The hostess tells the hero:

There has been no crossing here for centuries. Shamash flies around the lead waters of death like a bird, and the boatman Urshanabi floats by, carrying the dead. He knows the way to Ut-napishtim, which one of the mortals saved his life forever.

The hero said goodbye to his hostess, directing his feet towards the forest. He came out of the forest to the river and there he saw a shuttle and in the shuttle - Urshanabi7.

“Why are you wandering, lagging behind the dead,” Urshanabi said to the hero. - Sit down, I will take you to where the kingdom of the dead is.

“I have not left behind the dead,” answered the hero Urshanabi. - Yes, my cheeks withered and my head drooped. But a living heart beats in my chest. Listen!

What a miracle! - said Urshanabi. - The heart really beats. Why did you come here?

“I came, driven by sadness,” Gilgamesh Urshanabi answered. - I want to find my friend and make him immortal. Now put me in the boat and take me to Ut-napishtim.

Sit down! - said Urshanabi. - I’ll take you to Ut-napishtim. Here's the pole. Help, but don’t touch the water if you want to get to the place.

Gilgamesh unfastened his belt and, having undressed, he tied his clothes to a pole, as if to a mast. And Urshanabi's boat was driven so that Gilgamesh did not even touch the fatal moisture of death with his pole.

Ut-napishtim walks around the island, surrounded by the waters of death. For hundreds of years, he has walked around his possessions in an unchanged way. Motionless lead sea. Birds do not fly over the island. No fish will jump out of the wave. And no news comes to him from the country where he lived as a man. Only Urshanabi’s boat passes, and in that boat are the souls of the dead. This boat, following it with its gaze, recognizes Ut-napishtim that everything in the world is unchanged.

Hey wife! - Ut-napishtim suddenly shouted. - What happened to my eyes? Look, this is Urshanabi's boat. But a sail rises above it. From time immemorial it has never happened that a sail was raised here.

Don’t worry, your eyes are sharp, the wife says. - They are as sharp-sighted as in those years when you saw the mountain. And my eyes see the sail. And the dead man holds this sail. Look how pale his cheeks are! The sailor drowned, probably because he couldn’t live without a sail. And Urshanabi takes him to the country where the souls of the dead are.

You say you don't know! - Ut-napishtim answers his wife. - For many hundreds of years I have been watching how the souls of the dead are transported. Who hasn't been here! And the king, and the plowman, and the flute player, and the blacksmith, and the carpenter. And they are transported without a crown, without a hoe, without a flute. Judge who will ask a dead person what he loves and what he doesn’t love.

Gilgamesh goes ashore, leaving Urshanabi's boat. He walks, and it is immediately clear that he is with a living soul, and not dead.

What are you looking for? - asked Ut-write. - Why did you come here, as if alive, on a boat for the dead? Why are your cheeks hollow? Why is your head drooping? How did you get to me, answer me!

They call me Gilgamesh. I am from the distant city of Uruk. I am two thirds god, one third human. Together with my friend Enkidu, we killed the evil Humbaba, who guards the cedar forest. But, saving me from death, Enkidu’s friend became its victim. And I look for him around the world, going around all the seas and countries.

Ut-napishtim shook his head and said a sad word:

Why don't you want to come to terms with human pitiful lot? There was no chair left for you at the meeting of immortals. You must understand that the immortal gods are full grains of wheat, but people are just chaff. Death gives people no mercy. The human house will not stand for long. We do not put seals forever. Even our hatred is instantaneous...

Table XI

Well, what about you? - Gilgamesh Ut-napishtim said. - You are no better than me. Tired, you lie down on your back. I'm not afraid to fight you. Tell us how you ended up at the council of the gods, how you achieved immortal life.

“Well,” said Ut-napishtim. - I’ll tell you my secret. I once lived on the Euphrates. I am your fellow countryman and distant ancestor. I am from the city of Shuruppak, which is well known to you. Somehow the gods decided to destroy those living on earth. They came to the meeting and held council among themselves. After a long argument, their hearts leaned towards the flood. Having made their choice, they swore to keep it secret. I did not break that oath of Ea, I was dear to his heart. And, falling to the ground, he did not tell this secret to me, to my silent house:

The walls are reeds, hear me. Wall, be brave, I give a sign. Your master, my faithful servant, must leave Shuruppak. And let him build a ship, Because the flood of water will give up the spirit of everything that lives. Let him load up his goods. Their people and silver.

And I realized that it was Ea, the bright-eyed one, who gave the command to the wall to give me salvation. I made many sacrifices to Ea, so he chose me from among thousands.

And I began to build a ship, similar in outline to a box, with four corners that stood out. I sealed the cracks in its walls and filled them with thick resin. I divided all the space inside into nine compartments. And he filled many sweet vessels with water, stocked up with various foods, preparing for a long siege. And then, bringing all the animals in pairs, he filled the compartments with them so that they would not eat each other. He captured the craftsmen and their wives and children. He and his family were the last to go up and closed the doors behind them.

The morning has risen. A cloud came out. So black that the gods of blackness themselves were afraid of her. A numbness seized the earth. And then the rain came, pounding the roof mercilessly. Soon I heard a crash, as if the earth had split open like a bowl. My ship was lifted by the waves and driven by the whistling wind.

For six days, seven nights the ship carried and drove across the sea. And then the wind calmed down and the stormy sea calmed down. I opened the window. The daylight illuminated my face. The sea spread out everywhere. I fell to my knees. I realized: humanity has returned to clay.

And then I saw Mount Nitsir in the open sea and directed the ship towards it. The mountain held him, preventing him from swaying. When the seventh day arrived, I brought out the dove and released it. Soon the dove returned. I brought the swallow out and let it go. Not finding a place to sit, she returned. I took the raven out and let him go. Raven was the first to see land. He did not return to the ship.

That's when I left the ship. He looked at all sides of the world and offered a prayer to the immortals. He placed seven incense burners. In them he broke fragrant branches, reeds, myrtle and cedar. And lit it. And the gods smelled a smell that they had almost forgotten. And they flocked like flies to honey, and surrounded the incense burners.

Enlil was the only one dissatisfied that there were living souls left. My patron Ea addressed him with reproach:

You caused the flood in vain. If there was a surplus of people, he would unleash ravenous lions on them. Could cause illness and hunger. Now show Ut-napishtim and his wife a place where they can live without knowing death.

Enlil approached the ship, where I hid from fear of the gods, and, taking my hand, led me to the ground and said:

You were a man, Ut-napishti, but now with your wife you are like the immortal gods. From now on, in the distance, at the mouth of the streams, is your home. Even death will not find you there.

Suddenly Gilgamesh fell asleep, and he did not hear the end of the story. Sleep breathed into him the darkness of the desert. And the wife of Ut-write said:

Wake him up! Let him return to earth! Ut-write shook his head:

Let him sleep, and you mark the marks on the wall for the day.

Seven days have passed. And seven notches lay over Gilgamesh’s head. He woke up, and when he woke up, he said to Ut-napishtim:

Death took possession of my flesh, for the sleep was like death.

This long sleep is due to fatigue, Gilgamesh. You slept for seven days. Life will return to you. Wash yourself by the stream. Throw the torn skins into the sea. Cover your nakedness with white linen and get into Urshanabi’s shuttle.

And when Gilgamesh left, Ut-napishtim’s wife said:

He walked, got tired, worked. You didn't give him anything for the journey. Let me bake him some bread.

Someone who has a restless liver cannot be satisfied with bread forever. That man lives not by bread, but by his insane daring. Instead of bread, I will give Gilgamesh one secret word.

Gilgamesh washed himself with spring water and changed his clothes. His body became beautiful. But the stamp of sadness did not leave his face. Gilgamesh descended into the shuttle, but did not have time to sail when he heard a loud voice:

There is a flower on the ocean floor with fiery petals on a tall, thorny stem. If you, restless Gilgamesh, get that famous flower, you will not face the threat of old age, death will bypass you. Here it is, the secret word that I give you as a parting gift.

Gilgamesh, hearing this word, rushed to the well like an arrow, tied stones to his feet and dived to the bottom of the ocean.

He saw a beautiful flower on a tall, prickly stem. And he reached for that flower. The thorns pricked his hand, and the sea was stained with blood. But without feeling any pain, he pulled out the flower with force and threw it above his head like a torch. Having cut off the heavy stones, Gilgamesh rose from the water. Coming onto land, he addressed Urshanabi:

Here it is, the famous flower that makes life eternal, that brings youth to the old man. It will be delivered to Uruk. I'll test it on people. If the old man becomes younger, I will eat it and become young.

They wandered through the desert. We sat down by the pond. To cool his body, Gilgamesh immersed himself in a pond. When he went up, he saw a snake. The snake crawled away, carrying away the flower, changing its skin as it went.

Gilgamesh burst into tears and through his tears said to Urshanabi:

For whom did I suffer and work? I did not bring any good for myself. Enkidu cannot be found now. I return to Uruk with nothing.

Where the bright Euphrates rushes to the sea of ​​water, a hill of sand rises. The city is buried under it. The wall became dust. The tree became rotten. Rust has eaten the metal.

Traveler, go up the hill and look into the blue distance. You see, the herd is wandering to the place where there is a watering hole. A shepherd sings a song. No, not about the formidable king and not about his glory. Sings about human friendship.

1 Nisaba - in Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, the goddess of the harvest, daughter of Ana. She was depicted with flowing hair, wearing a crown decorated with ears of corn. Ears of corn grew from her shoulders. In her hand was a date fruit - a symbol of inexhaustible fertility.

2 Ninsun - according to one version, mother, according to another - the wife of Gilgamesh.

3 In the stories about Ishtar's lovers, she is not only the goddess of fertility, but also the goddess of hunting, war, and the patroness of culture. Hence the lion she caught, the horse she tamed, the animal of war, the connection with the gardener, who was then turned into a spider.

4 Gilgamesh was considered an opponent of lions and was often depicted on clay figurines fighting lions. This visual image was adopted by the Greeks and embodied in the image of Hercules, who was considered the conqueror of the monstrous lion and was depicted in a lion's skin.

5 The mountains through which Gilgamesh passed, according to the ideas of the Sumerians and Akkadians, were located at the edge of the world, supporting the heavenly dome. Through an opening in these mountains, the sun god descended after the end of the day into the kingdom of night, in order to pass through the same mountains on the other side of the earth the next morning.

6 Ideas about the garden of the underworld could reflect impressions from visiting underground caves.

7 The image of a boatman - a guide of souls, which first appeared in the myths of Mesopotamia, was adopted by the Etruscans, Greeks, and Romans, in whose myths he bears the name Harun (Charon).

Current page: 1 (book has 4 pages in total)

Epic of Gilgamesh

About the one who has seen it all

The Epic of Gilgamesh, written in the Babylonian literary dialect of the Akkadian language, is the central, most important work of Babylonian-Assyrian (Akkadian) literature.

Songs and legends about Gilgamesh have come down to us written in cuneiform on clay tiles - “tables” in four ancient languages ​​of the Middle East - Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite and Hurrian; in addition, mentions of it were preserved by the Greek writer Aelian and the medieval Syrian writer Theodore bar-Konai. The earliest known mention of Gilgamesh is older than 2500 BC. e., at the latest dates back to the 11th century. n. e. Sumerian epic tales about Gilgamesh probably developed at the end of the first half of the 3rd millennium BC. e., although the records that have reached us date back to the 19th–18th centuries. BC e. The first surviving records of the Akkadian poem about Gilgamesh date back to the same time, although in oral form it probably took shape in the 23rd–22nd centuries. BC e. For this more ancient date The origin of the poem is indicated by its language, somewhat archaic for the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. e., and the mistakes of the scribes, indicating that, perhaps, even then they did not clearly understand it in everything. Some images on seals of the XXIII–XXII centuries. BC e. clearly illustrated not by Sumerian epics, but specifically by the Akkadian epic of Gilgamesh.

Already the oldest, so-called Old Babylonian, version of the Akkadian epic represents a new stage in artistic development Mesopotamian literature. This version contains everything main features the final edition of the epic, but it was much shorter; Thus, it lacked the introduction and conclusion of the later version, as well as the story of the great flood. From the “Old Babylonian” version of the poem, six or seven unrelated passages have come down to us - badly damaged, written in illegible cursive and, in at least one case, in an uncertain student’s hand. Apparently, a slightly different version is represented by Akkadian fragments found in Megiddo in Palestine and in the capital of the Hittite state - Hattusa (now a settlement near the Turkish village of Bogazkoy), as well as fragments of translations into the Hittite and Hurrian languages, also found in Bogazkoy; they all date back to the 15th–13th centuries. BC e. This so-called peripheral version was even shorter than the "Old Babylonian" version. The third, “Nineveh” version of the epic was, according to tradition, written down “from the mouth” of Sin-like-unninni, an Uruk spellcaster who apparently lived at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e. This version is represented by four groups of sources: 1) fragments no younger than the 9th century. BC e., found in the city of Ashur in Assyria; 2) more than a hundred small fragments of the 7th century. BC e., relating to the lists that were once kept in the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in Nineveh; 3) a student’s copy of the VII–VIII tables, recorded from dictation with numerous errors in the 7th century. BC e. and originating from a school located in the Assyrian provincial city of Khuzirin (now Sultan Tepe); 4) fragments of the 6th (?) century. BC e., found in the south of Mesopotamia, in Uruk (now Varka).

The “Nineveh” version is textually very close to the “Old Babylonian” version, but it is more extensive, and its language is somewhat updated. There are compositional differences. With the “peripheral” version, as far as can be judged so far, the “Nineveh” version had much less textual similarities. There is an assumption that the text of Sin-like-unninni was written at the end of the 8th century. BC e. revised by an Assyrian priest and collector of literary and religious works named Nabuzukup-kenu; in particular, it has been suggested that he came up with the idea of ​​adding at the end of the poem a literal translation of the second half of the Sumerian epic “Gilgamesh and the Huluppu Tree” as a twelfth table.

Due to the lack of a verified, scientifically based consolidated text of the “Nineveh” version of the poem, the translator often had to decide on his own the question of the relative position of individual clay fragments. It should be noted that the reconstruction of some places in the poem is still an unsolved problem.

The published excerpts follow the “Nineveh” version of the poem (NV); however, from the above it is clear that full text This version, which in ancient times amounted to about three thousand verses, cannot yet be restored. And other versions have survived only in fragments. The translator filled in the gaps in the NV according to other versions. If any passage has not been preserved completely in any version, but the gaps between the surviving pieces are small, then the intended content was completed by the translator in verse. Some of the newest clarifications of the text are not taken into account in the translation.

The Akkadian language is characterized by tonic versification, which is also common in Russian; this allowed the translation to try to convey as much as possible the rhythmic moves of the original and, in general, exactly those artistic means that the ancient author used, with minimal deviation from the literal meaning of each verse.

The text of the preface is given according to the edition:

Dyakonov M.M., Dyakonov I.M. “Selected Translations”, M., 1985.

Table I

About having seen everything to the ends of the world,
About the one who knew the seas, crossed all the mountains,
About conquering enemies together with a friend,
About the one who has comprehended wisdom, about the one who has penetrated everything
He saw the secret, knew the secret,
He brought us news of the days before the flood,
I went on a long journey, but I was tired and humbled,
The story of the labors was carved in stone,
Uruk surrounded with a wall 1
Uruk- a city in the south of Mesopotamia, on the banks of the Euphrates (now Varka). Gilgamesh is a historical figure, the king of Uruk who ruled the city around 2600 BC. e.

Eana's bright barn 2
Eana- temple of the sky god Anu and his daughter Ishtar, main temple Uruk. In Sumer, temples were usually surrounded by outbuildings where the harvest from the temple estates was kept; these buildings were themselves considered sacred.

Sacred.-
Look at the wall, whose crowns, like a thread,
Look at the shaft that knows no likeness,
Touch the thresholds that have been lying since ancient times,
And enter Eana, the home of Ishtar 3
Ishtar- goddess of love, fertility, as well as hunting, war, patroness of culture and Uruk.

Even the future king will not build such a thing, -
Rise and walk the walls of Uruk,
Look at the base, feel the bricks:
Are its bricks burnt?
And weren’t the walls laid by seven sages?

He is two thirds god, one third he is human,
His body image is incomparable in appearance,

He raises the wall of Uruk.
A violent husband, whose head, like that of a tour, is raised,

All his comrades rise to the occasion!
The men of Uruk are afraid in their bedrooms:
“Gilgamesh will not leave his son to his father!”

Is it Gilgamesh, the shepherd of fenced Uruk,
Is he the shepherd of the sons of Uruk,
Powerful, glorious, having comprehended everything?


Often the gods heard their complaint,
The gods of heaven called upon the Lord of Uruk:
“You have created a violent son, whose head is raised like that of an aurochs,
Whose weapon in battle has no equal, -
All his comrades rise to the drum,
Gilgamesh will not leave sons to fathers!
Day and night the flesh rages:
Is he the shepherd of fenced Uruk,
Is he the shepherd of the sons of Uruk,
Powerful, glorious, having comprehended everything?
Gilgamesh will not leave the virgin to his mother,
Conceived by a hero, betrothed to a husband!
Anu often heard their complaint.
They called out to the great Arur:
"Aruru, you created Gilgamesh,
Now create his likeness!
When he equals Gilgamesh in courage,
Let them compete, let Uruk rest.”
Aruru, having heard these speeches,
She created the likeness of Anu in her heart
Aruru washed her hands,
She plucked off the clay and threw it on the ground,
She sculpted Enkidu, created a hero.
Spawn of midnight, warrior of Ninurta,
His whole body is covered with fur,
Like a woman, she wears her hair,
The strands of hair are thick like bread;
I knew neither people nor the world,
He is dressed in clothes like Sumukan.



Man - hunter-hunter
He meets him in front of a watering hole.
The first day, and the second, and the third
He meets him in front of a watering hole.
The hunter saw him and his face changed,
He returned home with his cattle,
He became frightened, fell silent, became numb,
There is sorrow in his chest, his face is darkened,
Longing entered his womb,
His face became like one walking a long way. 4
“He who walks a long way” is a dead man.

The hunter opened his mouth and spoke, he spoke to his father:
“Father, a certain man who came from the mountains, -

His hands are as strong as stone from heaven, -




I'll dig holes and he'll fill them in,



His father opened his mouth and said, he said to the hunter:
"My son, Gilgamesh lives in Uruk,
There is no one stronger than him
Throughout the country his hand is mighty,

Go, turn your face to him,
Tell him about the strength of man.
He will give you a harlot - bring her with you.
The woman will defeat him like a mighty husband!
When he feeds the animals at the watering hole,

Seeing her, he will approach her -
The animals that grew up with him in the desert will abandon him!”
He obeyed his father's advice,
The hunter went to Gilgamesh,
He set out on his journey, turned his feet to Uruk,
In front of Gilgamesh's face he said a word.
“There is a certain man who came from the mountains,
Throughout the country his hand is mighty,
His hands are strong, like stone from heaven!
He wanders forever in all the mountains,
Constantly crowds with animals to the watering hole,
Constantly directs steps towards a watering hole.
I'm afraid of him, I don't dare approach him!
I'll dig holes and he'll fill them in,
I'll set traps - he'll snatch them,
Beasts and creatures of the steppe are taken from my hands, -
He won’t let me work in the steppe!”
Gilgamesh tells him, the hunter:
“Go, my hunter, bring the harlot Shamkhat with you,
When he feeds the animals at the watering hole,
Let her tear off her clothes and reveal her beauty, -
When he sees her, he will approach her -
The animals that grew up with him in the desert will leave him.”
The hunter went and took the harlot Shamkhat with him,
We hit the road, we hit the road,
On the third day we reached the agreed upon place.
The hunter and the harlot sat in ambush -
One day, two days they sit at a watering hole.
The animals come and drink at the watering hole,
The creatures come, the heart is gladdened by water,
And he, Enkidu, whose homeland is the mountains,
He eats grass with the gazelles,
Together with the animals he crowds to the watering hole,
Together with the creatures, the heart rejoices with water.
Shamkhat saw a savage man,
A fighter husband from the depths of the steppe:
“Here he is, Shamkhat! Open up your womb
Bare your shame, let your beauty be comprehended!
When he sees you, he will approach you -
Don't be embarrassed, take his breath
Open your clothes and let it fall on you!
Give him pleasure, the work of women, -
The animals that grew up with him in the desert will abandon him,
He will cling to you with passionate desire.”
Shamkhat opened her breasts, exposed her shame,
I wasn’t embarrassed, I accepted his breath,
She opened her clothes and he lay on top,
Gave him pleasure, the work of women,
And he clung to her with passionate desire.
Six days have passed, seven days have passed -
Enkidu tirelessly got to know the harlot.
When I've had enough of affection,
He turned his face to the beast.
Seeing Enkidu, the gazelles ran away,
The steppe animals avoided his body.
Enkidu jumped up, his muscles weakened,
His legs stopped, and his animals left.
Enkidu resigned himself - he can’t run like before!
But he became smarter, with deeper understanding, -
He returned and sat at the feet of the harlot,
He looks the harlot in the face,
And whatever the harlot says, his ears listen.
The harlot tells him, Enkidu:
“You are beautiful, Enkidu, you are like a god,”
Why are you wandering in the steppe with the beast?
Let me lead you into fenced Uruk,
To the bright house, the dwelling of Anu,

And, like a tour, it shows its power to people!”
She said that these speeches are pleasant to him,
His wise heart is looking for a friend.
Enkidu speaks to her, the harlot:
“Come on, Shamkhat, bring me
To the bright holy house, the dwelling of Anu,
Where Gilgamesh is perfect in strength
And, like a tour, it shows its power to people.
I will call him, I will say proudly,
I will shout in the midst of Uruk: I am mighty,
I alone change destinies,
Whoever was born in the steppe, his strength is great!”
“Come on, Enkidu, turn your face to Uruk,”
Where Gilgamesh goes, I truly know:
Let us go, Enkidu, to fenced Uruk,
Where people are proud of their royal dress,
Every day they celebrate a holiday,
Where the sounds of cymbals and harps are heard,
And the harlots. glorious in beauty:
Full of voluptuousness, they promise joy -
They take the great ones away from the bed of the night.
Enkidu, you don't know life,
I will show Gilgamesh that I am happy with the lamentations.
Look at him, look at his face -
He is beautiful with courage, masculine strength,
His whole body carries voluptuousness,
He has more power than you,
There is no peace either day or night!
Enkidu, curb your insolence:
Gilgamesh - Shamash loves him 5
Shamash is the god of the Sun and justice. His rod is a symbol of judicial power.

Anu, Ellil 6
Ellil is the supreme god.

They brought it to their senses.
Before you came here from the mountains,
Gilgamesh saw you in a dream among Uruk.
Gilgamesh stood up and interpreted the dream,
He tells his mother:
“My mother, I saw a dream at night:
The heavenly stars appeared to me in it,
It fell on me like a stone from the sky.
I lifted him up - he was stronger than me,
I shook him - I can’t shake him off,
The edge of Uruk rose to him,

People crowd towards him,
All the men surrounded him,
All my comrades kissed his feet.
I fell in love with him, just as I fell in love with my wife.
And I brought it to your feet,
You made him equal to me.”
Gilgamesh’s mother is wise, she knows everything, she tells her master,

“He who appeared like the stars of heaven,
What fell on you like a stone from the sky -
You raised him - he was stronger than you,
You shook it and you can’t shake it off,
I fell in love with him, like I clung to my wife,
And you brought him to my feet,
I compared him to you -
The strong will come as a companion, a friend's savior,
Throughout the country his hand is mighty,
His hands are strong, like stones from heaven, -
You will love him as you will cling to your wife,
He will be a friend, he will not leave you -
This is the interpretation of your dream.”

“My mother, I saw a dream again:
In fenced Uruk the ax fell, and people crowded around:
The edge of Uruk rose to him,
The whole region gathered against him,
People crowd towards him, -
I fell in love with him, like I fell in love with my wife,
And I brought it to your feet,
You made him equal to me.”
Gilgamesh’s mother is wise, she knows everything, she tells her son,
Ninsun is wise, she knows everything, she tells Gilgamesh:
“You saw a man in that axe,
You will love him, just as you will cling to your wife,
I will compare him with you -
Strong, I said, a comrade will come, a savior of a Friend.
Throughout the country his hand is mighty,
His hands are strong, like stone from heaven!“
Gilgamesh says to her, his mother:
"If. Ellil commanded - let an adviser arise,
Let my friend be my adviser,
Let me be an adviser to my friend!”
This is how he interpreted his dreams.”
She told Enkidu Shamhat the dreams of Gilgamesh, and both began to fall in love.

Table II

(At the beginning of the table of the "Nineveh" version there is missing - apart from small fragments of cuneiform writing - about one hundred and thirty-five lines containing the episode, which in the "Old Babylonian version" - the so-called "Pennsylvanian table" - is stated as follows:

* „…Enkidu, get up, I will lead you
* To the temple of Eane, the dwelling of Anu,
* Where Gilgamesh is perfect in deeds.
* And you will love him as much as yourself!
* Get up from the ground, from the shepherd’s bed!“
* Heard her word, perceived her speech,
* Women's advice sank into his heart.
* I tore the fabric and dressed him alone,
* I dressed myself with the second fabric,
* Taking my hand, she led me like a child,
* To the shepherd's camp, to the cattle pens.
* There the shepherds gathered around them,
They whisper, looking at him:
“That man resembles Gilgamesh in appearance,
Shorter in stature, but stronger in bone.
It is true, Enkidu, creature of the steppe,
Throughout the country his hand is mighty,
His hands are strong like stone from heaven:
* He sucked animal milk!“
* On the bread that was placed in front of him,
* Confused, he looks and looks:
* Enkidu did not know how to eat bread,
* Was not trained to drink strong drink.
* The harlot opened her mouth and spoke to Enkidu:
* “Eat bread, Enkidu, that is characteristic of life.”
* Drink strong drink – this is what the world is destined for!”
* Enkidu ate his fill of bread,
* He drank seven jugs of strong drink.
* His soul leaped and roamed,
* His heart rejoiced, his face shone.
* He felt his hairy body,
* He anointed himself with oil, became like people,
* I put on clothes and looked like my husband.
* He took weapons and fought with lions -
* The shepherds rested at night.
* He defeated lions and tamed wolves -
* The great shepherds slept:
* Enkidu is their guard, a vigilant husband.
The news was brought to Uruk, fenced off to Gilgamesh:

* Enkidu indulged in fun with the harlot,
* He looked up and saw a man, -
* He says to the harlot:
* “Shamkhat, bring the man!
* Why did he come? I want to know his name!”
*Clicked, the harlot of man,
* He came up and saw him.
* “Where are you, O husband, in a hurry? Why are you going?
difficult?"
* The man opened his mouth and spoke to Enkidu:
* “I was called into the bridal chamber,
* But the destiny of people is submission to the higher ones!
* Loads the city with baskets of bricks,
* The feeding of the city is entrusted to the laughing people,
* Only to the king of fenced Uruk
* The marriage peace is open,
* Only Gilgamesh, king of the fenced Uruk,
* Marriage peace is open, -
* He has a betrothed wife!
* So it was; I will say: so it will be,
* This is the decision of the Council of Gods,
* By cutting the umbilical cord, that’s how he was judged!”
* From the words of a person
his face turned pale.

(About five verses are missing.)

* Enkidu walks in front, and Shamhat walks behind,

Enkidu went out onto the street of fenced Uruk:
“Name at least thirty mighty ones, I will fight them!”
He blocked the way to the marriage peace.
The edge of Uruk rose to him,
The whole region gathered against him,
People crowd towards him,
The men gathered around him,
Like weak guys, they kiss his feet:
“From now on, a wonderful hero has appeared to us!”
That night a bed was made for Ishhara,
But a rival appeared to Gilgamesh, like a god:
Enkidu blocked the door to the marriage chamber with his foot,
He did not allow Gilgamesh to enter.
They grabbed at the door of the marriage chamber,
They began to fight in the street, on the wide road, -
The porch collapsed and the wall shook.
* Gilgamesh knelt on the ground,
* He humbled his anger, calmed his heart
* When his heart subsided, Enkidu spoke to Gilgamesh:
* “Your mother gave birth to one like you,
* Buffalo Fence, Ninsun!
* Your head has risen high above men,
* Ellil has judged the kingdom for you over the people!”

(From the further text of Table II in the Nineveh version, only insignificant fragments have again been preserved; it is only clear that Gilgamesh brings his friend to his mother Ninsun.)

“Throughout the whole country his hand is mighty,
His hands are strong, like stone from heaven!
Bless him to be my brother!”
Gilgamesh's mother opened her mouth and spoke to her master,
The buffalo Ninsun speaks to Gilgamesh:
"My son, ……………….
Bitterly …………………. »
Gilgamesh opened his mouth and spoke to his mother:
« ……………………………………..
He came to the door and talked some sense into me with his might.”
He bitterly reproached me for my violence.
Enkidu has neither mother nor friend,
He never cut his loose hair,
He was born in the steppe, no one can compare with him
Enkidu stands, listens to his speeches,
I got upset, sat down and cried,
His eyes filled with tears:
He sits idle and loses his strength.
Both friends hugged, sat next to each other,
By the hands
they came together like brothers.

* Gilgamesh tilted. face, Enkidu says:
* “Why are your eyes filled with tears,
* Your heart is saddened, do you sigh bitterly?”
Enkidu opened his mouth and spoke to Gilgamesh:
* “The screams, my friend, tear my throat:
* I sit idle, my strength disappears.”
Gilgamesh opened his mouth and spoke to Enkidu:
* “My friend, far away there are the mountains of Lebanon,
* Those mountains of Kedrov are covered with forest,
* The fierce Humbaba lives in that forest 7
Humbaba is a giant monster who protects cedars from people.

* Let's kill him together, you and I,
* And we will drive out everything that is evil from the world!
* I will chop cedar, and the mountains will grow with it, -
* I will create an eternal name for myself!”

* “I know, my friend, I was in the mountains,
* When I wandered with the beast together:

* Who will penetrate into the middle of the forest?
* Humbaba - his hurricane voice,
* His mouth is a flame, death is his breath!



* “I want to climb the cedar mountain,
* And I wish to enter the forest of Humbaba,

(Two to four verses are missing.)

* I’ll hang the battle ax on my belt -
* You go behind, I’ll go in front of you!”))
* Enkidu opened his mouth and spoke to Gilgamesh:
* “How will we go, how will we enter the forest?
* God Ver, his guardian, is powerful, vigilant,
* And Humbaba - Shamash endowed him with strength,
* Addu endowed him with courage,
* ………………………..

Ellil entrusted to him the fears of men.
Humbaba is a hurricane his voice,
His lips are fire, death is his breath!
People say - the path to that forest is hard -
Who will penetrate into the middle of the forest?
So that he protects the cedar forest,
Ellil entrusted to him the fears of men,
And whoever enters that forest is overwhelmed by weakness.”
* Gilgamesh opened his mouth and spoke to Enkidu:
* “Who, my friend, ascended to heaven?
* Only the gods with the Sun will remain forever,
* And a man - his years are numbered,
* No matter what he does, it’s all wind!
* You are still afraid of death,
* Where is it, the power of your courage?
I will go in front of you, and you shout to me: “Go, don’t be afraid!”
* If I fall, I will leave my name:
* “Gilgamesh took on the fierce Humbaba!”
* But a child was born in my house, -
* He ran up to you: “Tell me, you know everything:
* ……………………………….
*What did my father and your friend do?”
* You will reveal to him my glorious share!
* ……………………………….
* And with your speeches you sadden my heart!

* I will create an eternal name for myself!
* My friend, I will give the masters the duty:
*Let the weapon be cast in front of us.”
* They gave duty to the masters, -
* The masters sat down and discussed.
* Large axes were cast, -
* They cast the axes into three talents;
* The daggers were cast large, -
* Blades of two talents,
* Thirty mines of protrusions on the sides of the blades,
* Thirty minas of gold, - dagger hilt, -
* Gilgamesh and Enkidu each carried ten talents.
* Seven locks were removed from the gates of Uruk,
* Hearing about this, the people gathered,
* Crowded on the street of fenced Uruk.
* Gilgamesh appeared to him,
The assembly of the fenced Uruk before him sat down.
* Gilgamesh says to them:
* “Listen, elders of fenced Uruk,
* Listen, people of fenced Uruk,
* Gilgamesh, who said: I want to see
* The one whose name scorches countries.
* I want to defeat him in the cedar forest,
* How mighty am I, son of Uruk, let the world hear!
* I will raise my hand, I will chop cedar,
* I will create an eternal name for myself!”
* Elders of fenced Uruk
* They answer Gilgamesh with the following speech:
* “You are young, Gilgamesh, and you follow your heart,
*You yourself don’t know what you’re doing!
* We heard, - the monstrous image of Humbaba, -
* Who will deflect his weapon?
* There are ditches there in the field around the forest, -
* Who will penetrate into the middle of the forest?
* Humbaba - his hurricane voice,
* His lips are fire, death is his breath!
* Why did you want to do this?
* The battle in Humbaba’s dwelling is unequal!”
* Gilgamesh heard the word of his advisers,
* He looked back at his friend, laughing:
* “Now I’ll tell you what, my friend, -
* I'm afraid of him, I'm afraid of him greatly:
* I will go with you to the cedar forest,
* So that it’s not there
If we’re afraid, we’ll kill Humbaba!”
* The elders of Uruk speak to Gilgamesh:
* «…………………………….
* …………………………….
* May the goddess go with you, may your God protect you,
* May he lead you along a prosperous road,
* Let him return you to the pier of Uruk!
* Gilgamesh knelt before Shamash:
* “I heard the word that the elders said,”
* I go, but I raised my hands to Shamash:
* Now may my life be preserved,
* Take me back to the pier of Uruk,
* Stretch your canopy over me!”

(In the "Old Babylonian" version there are several destroyed verses, from which it can be assumed that Shamash gave an ambiguous answer to the heroes' fortune telling.)

* When I heard the prediction - ……….
* ………………… he sat down and cried,
* Tears ran down Gilgamesh's face.
* “I am walking a path where I have never gone before,
* Dear, whom my whole region does not know.
* If now I am prosperous,
* Leaving on a campaign of his own free will, -
* You, O Shamash, I will praise,
* I will place your idols on thrones!”
* The equipment was laid before him,
* Axes, large daggers,
* Bow and quiver - they were given into his hands.
* He took an ax, filled his quiver,
* He put the Anshan bow on his shoulder,
* He tucked the dagger into his belt, -
They prepared for the campaign.

(Two unclear lines follow, then two corresponding to the unpreserved first line of Table III of the “Nineveh” version.)

All nations have their heroes. In ancient Mesopotamia, such a famous hero was King Gilgamesh - warlike and wise, seeking immortality. The found tablets with writings telling about him are perhaps the very first monument of literary skill.

Who is Gilgamesh?

The legend of Gilgamesh is also invaluable about the beliefs of the Sumerians. In ancient Mesopotamia, the king of Uruk (a strong and developed populated city-kingdom at that time) was Gilgamesh, who was cruel in his youth. He was strong, stubborn, and had no respect for the gods. His strength was so superior to that of an earthly man that he could overcome a bull or a lion with just his hands, as did the biblical hero Samson. He could go to the other side of the world to perpetuate his name; and cross the Sea of ​​Death to give people hope for immortal life on earth.

Most likely, after his death, the people exalted their king so highly in their legends that they called him two-thirds a god, and only one-third a man. He achieved such veneration thanks to an insatiable thirst to find the gods and claim eternal life for himself. It is this plot that describes the Babylonian legend of Gilgamesh.

This tale of a hero who experienced many misfortunes on his travels is analyzed by philosophers and theologians, in the hope of finding answers to eternal questions about life and death that the Sumerians may have known.

Gilgemesh's friend - Enkidu

Another main one is the strong Enkidu, who came from the gods to kill Gilgamesh. The king of Uruk treated the people so cruelly that people prayed to the supreme goddess to create an enemy for their king, so that the young warrior would have something to do with his youthful enthusiasm and warlike strength.

And the Sumerian goddess created, at the request of the suffering, a half-beast and half-man. And he received the name Enkidu - the son of Enki. He came to fight and defeat Gilgamesh. But when he failed to defeat his opponent in a duel, Enkidu and Gilgamesh came to terms with the fact that their mighty forces were the same. Subsequently, Gilgemesh became Enkidu's best friend. And Gilgamesh even brought him to his mother, the goddess Ninsun, so that she would bless the half-beast as a brother for her son.

Together with Enkidu, the hero went to the land of cedars. Apparently, modern Lebanon was called the land of cedars. There they killed the guardian of the cedar forest - Humbaba, for which Enki's son suffered.

According to legend, he died of illness after 12 difficult days instead of Gilgamesh himself. The king bitterly mourned his close friend. But Gilgamesh himself was destined to continue his journey on earth. A summary of the Epic of Gilgamesh gives an idea of ​​how much friendship with this creature changed the irreverent Gilgamesh. And after the death of this hero, the king was again radically transformed.

Tablets with legends

Scientists from all countries are interested in the question of where the Epic of Gilgamesh was created. The epic was written on clay tablets. There is an assumption that the legend was written somewhere in the 22nd century. BC. 12 tablets with cuneiform texts were discovered at the end of the 19th century. The very first of them (the one that tells about the flood) was found during excavations of the library of the ancient Assyrian king Shurbanipalla. At that time, the city of Nineveh was located on this site. And now this is the territory of what is now Iraq.

And then researcher George Smith went in search of other tables in the territory of Ancient Sumer. There are a total of 12 songs in the epic, each of which contains 3000 poetic lines of text. Now all these clay tablets are kept in the English World History Museum.

Later, after the death of D. Smith, other tablets were found and deciphered. The Sumerian “Epic of Gilgamesh” was found in Syriac, Akkadian and 2 other ancient languages.

Who recorded the epic: versions

Assyriologists do not know who wrote the poem. The tale of a hero capable of enduring the most terrible hardships for the sake of a higher goal is Sumer's most valuable book. Some legends say that Gilgamesh himself, after his arrival from unknown lands, began to write on clay with a chisel about his adventures, so that his ancestors would not forget about them. But this is an unlikely version. The poem could be written by a person with the thinking of an artist and an artistic style, one who believed in the power of words, not weapons.

Someone among the people, who had obvious literary talent, combined all the disparate legends into a single story and wrote it in the form of a poem. This poem about Gilgamesh, which has survived to this day, is considered the first literary work.

The Epic of Gilgamesh begins with a description of how the young and eccentric king conquered Uruk and refused to obey the king of the city of Kish Agga. Together with young warriors, he defends his kingdom and orders the construction of a stone wall around the city. This is the first mention of Gilgamesh. Further, the myth tells about Gilgamesh and the huluppu tree (a willow planted on the banks of the Euphrates River by the gods), in the trunk of which the demoness Lilith hid. And a huge snake burrowed into the root of a tree planted by the gods. Gilgamesh is shown here as a brave defender who did not allow the mighty tree, beloved by the Assyrian goddess of love Inanna, to be defeated.

When the fertility goddess Ishtar (Isis among the Greeks) appreciated the courage of the young king, she ordered him to become her husband. But Gilgamesh refused, for which the gods sent a formidable and huge bull to earth, eager to destroy the hero. Gilgamesh, together with his faithful and resilient friend, defeats the bull, as well as the giant Humbaba.

And the king’s mother, when he planned the campaign, was extremely alarmed and asked not to go into battle against Humbaba. But still, Gilgamesh did not listen to anyone, but decided everything himself. Together with a friend, they defeat the giant guarding the cedar forest. They cut down all the trees, uprooting huge roots. The friends did not use these trees for construction or anything else. Cedars have only some kind of sacred meaning in the epic.

Then the gods kill Enkidu for killing the giant and cutting down the sacred forest. He died from an unknown illness. Despite all the pleas, the gods did not have mercy on the half-beast. This is what the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh tells.

Gilgamesh puts on rags and sets off on an unknown journey in order to find and beg from higher powers eternal life. He crossed the waters of death and was not afraid to come to its other shore, where Utnapishtim lived. He told Gilgamesh about a flower that grows at the bottom of the Sea of ​​Death. Only the one who picks a wondrous flower can prolong his life, but still not forever. Gilgamesh ties heavy stones to his strong legs and throws himself into the sea.

He managed to find the flower. However, on the way home, he plunges into a cool pond and leaves the flower on the shore unattended. And at this time the snake steals the flower, becoming younger before the hero’s eyes. And Gilgamesh returned home, defeated by his defeat. After all, he never allowed himself to lose. Here it is summary the epic of Gilgamesh.

The biblical flood in the legend of Ancient Sumer

The first ruler undoubtedly existed. The myth of Gilgamesh is not entirely fiction. However, after thousands of years, the image real person and fiction have merged in such a way that it is impossible to separate these images today.

The Epic of Gilgamesh contains a detailed account of the Flood. Walking along the path that is open only to one Sun, Gilgamesh comes to the kingdom of Utnapishtim, the only immortal among people, for answers to his questions. The great-ancestor Utnapishtim, who knew all the secrets, told him about the terrible flood in ancient times and the construction of the ship of salvation. The prototype of the great-ancestor Utnapishtim is the Old Testament Noah. How the Sumerians knew this story about the biblical flood is unclear. But according to biblical legends, Noah really lived for more than 600 years, and could be considered immortal for representatives of other nations.

Found in lands that were previously Assyrian, “The Legend of Gilgamesh, Who Has Seen Everything” is a find of unprecedented significance, as it gives food for thought. This legend is compared in meaning to the “Book of the Dead” of the Egyptian people and even to the Bible.

The main idea of ​​the poem

The idea of ​​the poem is not new. Transformation of the hero's character is inherent in many old legends. For such research, the found Epic of Gilgamesh is especially valuable. Analysis of the beliefs of the Sumerians, their ideas about life and gods, their concept of what life after death is like - all this continues to be explored to this day.

What is the main idea that can be seen in the legend? As a result of his wanderings, Gilgamesh does not receive what he was looking for. At the end of the tale, as the myth of Gilgamesh describes, the flower of immortality ends up in the hands of a cunning snake. But spiritual life is emerging in the hero of the epic. From now on, he believes that immortality is possible.

The summary of the Epic of Gilgamesh is not subject to strict logical presentation. Therefore, there is no way to consistently trace how the hero developed, what his interests were. But the legend says that Gilgamesh strove for glory like no other. Therefore, he goes to a dangerous battle with the giant Humbaba, from whom the hero is saved only by a request to the god Shamash from his mother-goddess. God Shamash raises the wind, obscuring the giant’s gaze, and thereby helps the heroes in their victory. But Gilgamesh needs glory again. He moves on. Goes into the waters of death.

Yet at the end of the poem, the king finds peace of mind when he sees the almost finished walls around the kingdom of Uruk. His heart rejoiced. The hero of the epic discovers the wisdom of existence, which speaks of the infinity of the soul, working for the sake of others. Gilgamesh is relieved that he was able to do something for future generations.

He listened to the advice of the gods that was given to him in the garden: man is mortal by nature, and he must value his short life, be able to rejoice in what is given.

Analysis of some philosophical problems raised in the epic

The heir to the throne and the hero in such an ancient source as the poem of Gilgamesh goes through various trials and is transformed. If at the beginning the king appears in the form of an unbridled, wayward and cruel young man, then after the death of Enkidu he is already capable of deep heartfelt grief for his friend.

For the first time realizing the fear of the death of the body, the hero of the poem turns to the gods to learn the secrets of life and death. From now on, Gilgamesh cannot simply rule his people, he wants to learn about the mystery of death. His soul comes to complete despair: how could the irrepressible strength and energy in Enkidu’s body die? This fire of the soul leads the hero further and further from native land, gives strength to overcome unprecedented difficulties. This is how the Epic of Gilgamesh is interpreted. Philosophical problems existence and non-existence also shine through in these verses. Especially in the passage that talks about the lost flower, which supposedly bestows cherished immortality. This flower is clearly a philosophical symbol.

A deeper interpretation of this epic is a transformation of the spirit. Gilgamesh turns from a man of earth into a man of heaven. The image of Enkidu can be interpreted as the bestial instincts of the king himself. And fighting him means fighting with yourself. Ultimately, the king of Uruk defeats his lower nature and acquires the knowledge and character qualities of a being two-thirds divine.

Comparison of the Epic of Gilgamesh with the Book of the Dead of the Egyptians

A striking allusion can be found in the story of Gilgamesh's passage through waters of the dead with the help of Charon. Charon in Egyptian mythology- this is a deep, skinny old man who transports the deceased from the mortal world to another world and receives payment for this.

Also, the legend of Gilgamesh mentions what the world of the dead is like according to the beliefs of the Assyrians. This is a depressing abode where water does not flow and not a single plant grows. And a person receives payment for all his deeds only during his lifetime. Moreover, his life is obviously short and meaningless: “Only the gods with the Sun will remain forever, and man—his years are numbered...”

The Egyptian “Book of the Dead” is papyrus, where various spells are written down. The second section of the book is devoted to how souls enter the underworld. But if Osiris decided that the soul had done more good, it was released and allowed to be happy.

Gilgamesh, after communicating with the gods, is sent back to his world. He undergoes ablution, puts on clean clothes, and although he loses the flower of life, he appears in his native Uruk as a renewed, sanctified blessing.

Epic translated by Dyakonov

Russian orientalist I.M. Dyakonov began translating the epic in 1961. In his work, the translator relied on a ready-made translation by V.K. Shileika. He turned out to be the most accurate Epic of Gilgamesh. He worked through a lot of ancient materials, and by this time it was already known to the scientific world that the prototype of the hero did exist.

This is a valuable literary and historical document - the Epic of Gilgamesh. Dyakonov's translation was republished in 1973 and again in 2006. His translation is the skill of a philological genius, multiplied by value ancient legend, a historical monument. Therefore, all those who have already read and appreciated the Babylonian legend, the legend of Gilgamesh, left wonderful reviews of the book.

Where the bright Euphrates rushes to the sea,

A hill of sand rises. The city is buried under it.

His name is Uruk. The wall turned to dust.

The tree became rotten. Rust has eaten the metal.

Traveler, go up the hill and look into the blue distance.

A flock of sheep wanders to the place where there was a watering hole.

A Bedouin sings a song, no, not about a terrible king

And not about his glory. He sings about human friendship.

The ancient world knew a lot about the gods of the peoples of the Middle East. The names of Bel (Baal), Adonis, Osiris, and Isis were well known among the Greeks and Romans. Gilgamesh was also known to them and, as one might think, already in ancient times, since in Homer’s poems there are fragments that indirectly indicate familiarity with the great epic of Mesopotamia. In the works of Latin authors one can also find the name Gilgamesh in a distorted form - Gilgamos. The Roman writer Aelian, writing in Greek, brought to us a version of the miraculous birth of a hero who was supposed to deprive his grandfather of the kingdom (Ael., Nat., XII, 21). Imprisoned in a tower, he was freed by an eagle and raised by a gardener, just like King Sargon of Akkad (Sharrukin).

A fragment of the Epic of Gilgamesh was first found in the rubble of still undisassembled cuneiform tablets of the British Museum in 1872. The discoverer, self-taught Assyriologist George Smith, read part of the line from the XI table “a man released a dove” and experienced the greatest shock, realizing that he was standing at the origins of the biblical flood myth. With this find, in fact, the titanic work of restoring the text of the epic, its interpretation and translation into modern languages ​​began. They have not yet recovered all the land from the “hills of the dead,” in which cuneiform tablets or their fragments with texts about Gilgamesh may be hidden. But the epic has already entered our consciousness as a masterpiece of world literature.

The Epic of Gilgamesh has been in the making for thousands of years. Gilgamesh was originally a Sumerian hero, king of the glorious Sumerian city of Uruk. The oldest pictographic, pre-cuneiform form of his name is attested in this city, as well as in another Sumerian center - Shuruppak, where the hero of the same epic, Utnapishtim, was from. However, the oldest evidence of Gilgamesh dates back only to 2150 BC. e. - these are images of the hero on clay cylinders surrounded by animals.

Slightly later records from another Sumerian city, Ur, recount the exploits of Gilgamesh and his father Lugalbanda. The same texts mention Enmerkar, possibly the grandfather of Gilgamesh. Most of what the Sumerians wrote about the deeds of Gilgamesh is short messages. The interest in Gilgamesh in Ur was most likely due to the fact that King Shulgi (2105 - 2103) who ruled in the city declared the goddess Ninsun, the mother of Gilgamesh, to be his mother and, accordingly, Gilgamesh his brother.

Some Sumerian myths about Gilgamesh were incorporated into the Akkadian epic. These are: 1. Gilgamesh and the Khalib tree; 2. Gilgamesh and the monster Huwava; 3. Gilgamesh and the bull of heaven; 4. Death of Gilgamesh; 5. Flood; 6. The descent of Inanna (Ishtar) into the underworld. The Sumerian versions existed separately. The Akkadians, having reworked at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. e. Sumerian heritage, created the epic of Gilgamesh, which became known to many peoples of the Middle East. Outside Mesopotamia, fragments of it are found in Palestine (Megiddo) and Syria (Ugarit). There are Hurrian and Hittite translations of the epic.

Tablets with the canonical version of the myth were discovered in the royal library of Nineveh in many copies. They were used by kings Sennacherib, Ashurbanipal and their courtiers. The canonical version from Nineveh used and adapted some Sumerian versions, but it included (primarily in the first part of the epic) other material.

In terms of the richness of its content and the timeless topicality of the problems raised, yiin about Gilgamesh has no analogues in the ancient literature that has come down to us. From the verses a city-state emerges not only in visible detail - the city wall, the temple center, the royal palace, the countryside beyond the walls, where shepherds live with their herds, where there is a place for hunting, but also as a social organism with its own unique characteristics and eternal unanswerable questions. This is primarily a question of power. The main character, for whose praise in the initial part of the poem the author does not have enough words, in fact turns out to be a despot who creates unbearable living conditions for the population. However, the author of the poem finds a solution to the problem of bad power, similar in direction to that in the 18th century. Jean Jacques Rousseau was walking: a return to nature, to naturalness. An unspoiled man of nature, a child of the steppes, Enkidu, is introduced into the city. Equal to Gilgamesh in strength, he, thanks to his innocence and true humanity, achieves the transformation of a brawler and tyrant into an ideal ruler and folk hero.

For people of the ancient world, as for the modern world, although to a lesser extent, the question arose about the relationship to a higher power (gods, god). For an ordinary person, for example, a Roman, this was a problem of debt to the gods, which was solved by making sacrifices in the hope of reciprocal gifts from the gods. Gilgamesh, two-thirds god, one-third man, was an intellectual, a philosopher. It is not for nothing that the author, talking about his virtues, recalls the seven wise men. The main role in Uruk and other cities of Mesopotamia was played by the goddess of love and fertility Inanna. Gilgamesh uses the services of a priestess of this goddess to bring Enkidu to the city. But the benefits of friendship, revealed to him thanks to his meeting with Enkidu, were the filth and depravity of everything that was then commonly called “love.”

The fight with Ishtar, first verbal and then with the use of weapons, ends in the greatest shame for the great goddess. She, the patroness of the phallic cult, is thrown in the face by the phallus of the bull she chose to punish Gilgamesh. The conflict with Ishtar forces the gods to make a logical decision - to punish not Gilgamesh, but Enkidu, for he owes him not so much victories over monstrous external forces as much as a victory over oneself. Without Enkidu, Gilgamesh cannot exist in the corrupted civilized world. He goes into the desert, just as the prophets of Israel did for many centuries after him. And there, in the desert, he decides, contrary to the laws of the gods, to bring Enkidu back to life.

Death... Every individual and human society as a whole stands before it in fear and bewilderment. In ancient times, an extensive mythology of death was created, on the development of which the fame of Homer, Virgil, and Dante grew. But the author of the epic of Gilgamesh was the first in this line of geniuses, and his hero, descending into a land of no return, is guided neither by a thirst for glory nor by political considerations. They are guided only by friendship. Of course, Homer also gave a great example of friendship - Achilles and Patroclus. But Achilles does not go to Hades, he sends a replacement there, defenseless Trojan prisoners.

Gilgamesh was a god-fighter, the great predecessor of Prometheus. His feat, beyond anything a mortal could imagine, does not lead to the desired result. But even after being defeated, Gilgamesh remains unconquered and continues to make us proud of his humanity, loyalty and courage.

1. It is possible that the original form of the name is “Bilgamesh”. In this case the name can be understood as an old (bilga) person (mes).

2. Shuruppak, the Mesopotamian city with which the legend of the flood is associated, was located near the modern Iraqi town of Varga. Cuneiform tablets and their fragments dating back to 2700 - 2600 were found nearby. BC e., and among them are the oldest texts of Sumerian literature (Bott (ro, 1987, 138 et seq.).

Table I.

I want to tell the country about everything I experienced,

About him who studied everything, about who made the secret obvious,

The message passed on from ancient antediluvian times,

About one who is tired of wanderings in distant lands,

About the one who told about them on the eternal memorial stone,

About the wall that surrounded our city Uruk for the first time,

About the one who gave the fence to Eanna, the great shrine of Uruk.

Climb the wall of Uruk, touch its strong brick.

Was he burned? Visit Eanna's fence,

The one in which the goddess Ishtar now resides,

Remember King Gilgamesh, his greatness and glory.

Among the rulers of the earth there was no one equal to him in valor.

The seven wise men served as an example to him.

Was the lord of Uruk born king Lugalbanda

His mother is Mrs. Ninsun, a steppe cow.

Is this why he did not know his equals in valor?

The passes of all mountain ranges were open to him.

He could cross the ocean, the open seas,

See the birth of the sun in the far east.

Two thirds God, one third man.

He could compete with any god with his beauty.

He was like a steppe tur in battle.

And his pukku weapon was worthy of surprise.

And the warriors were like family to him.

And the squad rose at this sign instantly.

Days and nights he and the fellows went on a rampage with the flesh.

Without leaving the father’s happiness to the old man,

Leaving no joy for the mother, her only daughter.

The husband could not be calm for his wife even at night.

Complaints about Gilgamesh, about the violence of him and his squad

The Almighty were not allowed to sleep, depriving Anu of peace.

And the people once turned to the goddess Arur:

O goddess, you created the human race.

Who will stop you from creating Gilgamesh's likeness?

Whoever he is, let him not yield to him in anything.

The request reached heaven and touched the heart of the goddess.

She washed her hands in water and took out a lump of clay from the bottom.

And, plucking from him, she created the husband Enkidu,

A savage warrior covered with long hair.

The hair on his head is like ripe ears of corn.

He grew up among animals, not knowing about man.

The fast gazelles were his family,

He hissed the grass with them and crowded around the watering hole.

Once a hunter, looking for prey, saw Enkidu,

Dropping his bow in horror, he froze for a moment without moving.

Before, he could not understand who the gazelle herd was,

The one he was chasing gave such protection.

Even when he returned home, the hunter was shaking with fear.

Only when he saw his father did he free himself from trembling.

I met a husband today with the power of a god.

He descended from the mountains into the desert along with a herd of gazelles.

I dropped the bow and realized who filled all the holes,

What I dug up on the path and covered the outside with leaves.

I hate this husband. He's depriving me of my prey.

Hearing his son’s complaint, the wise old man replied:

This husband is not for you. You are not equal to him in strength.

But he, a strong man, will have his way in the world.

The city is glorious Uruk. It is ruled by King Gilgamesh.

There is no stronger man on this land between the rivers.

You turn to him, and he will be able to help you.

The ruler of the city of Uruk listened to the hunter's speech

And he promised him his help and protection.

Go to Eanna, visit the domain of Inanna.

Both people and animals of the steppe are submissive to her will.

Inanna Shamhat serves everyone better with her maiden body.

Its strength is beauty, before which everything yields.

Go to the steppe together, return together with victory.

They both moved from Uruk to the steppe expanses.

By the third day they reached the watering hole and sat in ambush.

A day passes, and so does another, followed by a third.

Animals come to drink along their well-trodden paths.

There is no end to those animals whose hearts are gladdened by water.

Here he is! - the cry of the hunter maiden broke the slumber.

Here he is - a savage man approaching along with the herd.

Open your womb and expose it faster than beauty.

Ionou will approach and admire the spectacle.

Don't be scared. Let me touch his lips.

Drink the breath from your mouth. Let him cover you with his body.

Give him pleasure - a common thing for women.

And he will forget about the animals with which he grew up in the desert.

So get started. And may the caresses be pleasant to you.

Shamkhat bared her chest and opened her robes.

The savage, clinging to her, forgot everything in the world.

Oanou passed the nights, the seventh rolled to replace them.

Enkidu Shamhat is busy and does not leave her body.

The morning came, and he directed his gaze towards the herd.

There is horror in the eyes of the gazelles, who do not recognize their fellow creatures.

He wants to approach them, but they run away in fear.

Enkidu’s legs can’t support him, he can’t run like he used to.

For, having lost his strength, he gained human reason.

Nae o the legs of a harlot, like a submissive lamb.

Listen, Enkidu, she says. - You are like God in beauty.

What do you need steppe and grass, dumb wild animals?

If you want, I will take you to incomparable Uruk

To the house of the lord of heaven Anu and to Gilgamesh?

No one in the world has yet matched his power.

Friendship awaits you, the like of which has never been known in the world.

Immediately Enkidu's face brightened, and he reached out for friendship.

“Well, I’m ready,” he responded. - Lead to your Gilgamesh.

Neea doesn't scare him. And I will shout in the midst of Uruk:

Here I am, born in the steppe, raised in a herd by a gazelle.

My power is great. People's destinies are under my control.

We set off at dawn. And in Uruk that very morning

The king woke up on his bed, frightened by the dream.

Ninsun, steppe cow, - he turned to the goddess,

An incomprehensible and strange dream oppresses and confuses my soul.

In a host of unfamiliar husbands, among the stars I suddenly found myself

Someone attacked me from behind and I felt heavy

The body of a mighty warrior, as if from the army of Anu.

I tried to throw it off, but my efforts were in vain.

My city Uruk awakened along with the whole region.

I have never seen such a crowd of people before.

As for the faithful warriors, they are at the feet of a giant.

Soon I myself reached out to him with all my soul.

It’s hard to believe, but he seemed dearer to me than my brother.

Your dream, oh my dear lad, - the goddess explained to the king,

Sent by the good gods and may he not inspire fear.

The man you fought with is not from the army of Anu.

It is not the heavens of the giant - the desert and mountains have grown,

So that you cling to him with all your soul, as to your wife,

So that in happiness and in sorrow you will always be inseparable.

Table II.

At the same time, Shamhat and Enkidu emerge from the steppe,

To the smoke of the fire and to the barns, and to the shepherd’s village

Seeing unusual guests, the shepherds stopped working

And they surrounded Shamhat and Enkidu with a noisy crowd.

Speeches were heard: “He looks like Gilgamesh himself.”

No! He is a little shorter, but his bones are perhaps stronger.

Isn’t it Enkidu we accept, born of the steppe?

How powerful he is. Like a warrior of the heavenly kingdom.

They brought bread to the guests and placed it in front of Enkidu.

He didn’t pay attention, as if someone had thrown a stone under his feet.

They brought the fur with strong drink - he didn’t touch it.

He was not trained in food, in which human life is

And his head was not yet dizzy from drunkenness.

Eat, Enkidu,” Shamhat admonished the giant.

Drink strong drink, a drink unfamiliar to the beast.

Enkidu tasted the bread, so that others did not get it.

He drained the fur in one gulp, and his soul cleared up.

He felt his body and anointed himself with oil.

He covered his fur with a good linen.

The shepherds went to bed, he went hunting

Drive the lions across the steppe and the wolves that destroy the sheep.

In the morning, Shamhat and Enkidu left for incomparable Uruk.

He entered the walls, almost destroying the gate.

The people left the houses and filled the streets of the city,

To see a miracle, a walking giant.

Arms and legs like logs that are brought

From the distant mountains of Lebanon. Where is the harlot?

Where is Shamkhat, whose beauty Eanna was proud of?

Like a lamb, she trails behind Enkidu.

Like a foal in a field behind a mother mare.

So a cry is heard, familiar to all of Uruk.

The cry, at which husbands usually closed all the doors,

So that Gilgamesh would not see their wives.

The doors are wide open and past fears are forgotten.

The city near the temple of Ishhara froze in anticipation of battle.

Someone from full of heart wishes victory to the alien.

Maybe the time will come, which people did not expect,

Maybe the new ruler will be calmer than the previous one,

He will leave the women alone and do something else.

Meanwhile, the heroes grappled, trying to overpower each other.

My legs sunk into the ground up to my knees from tension.

And the earth groaned in pain, such as it had not known since birth.

The veins in the necks were swollen and breathing became heavy.

Drops of salty sweat pour from their faces in a stream.

That we, like sheep, rested our foreheads against each other?

The ruler of Uruk spoke and was the first to weaken his muscles.

And so they stand opposite each other, drying in the sun.

Not only the people of Uruk, Shamash, who goes around the earth,

I have not seen such a fight since the creation of the world.

“You brought me to reason by force,” the king turned to Enkidu.

Before, I admit, I had no equal in vanity.

We are equal in strength, Enkidu, and equality is the basis of friendship.

On this day both of them appeared before the face of Ninsun

Mother, this is the friend about whom you, explaining the dream,

She told me recently: Enkidu, born of the desert,

Equal in size to me and dearer to my own brother in everything.

Here he is, without knowing his clan, born of the mountains and steppe.

But no one can compare with my friend in the whole world.

Tears rolled down his cheeks, burning the ground at his feet.

Why are you crying? - Gilgamesh asked Enkidu.

What did you find offensive in my speech?

“I am not offended,” Enkidu said to Gilgamesh.

Time passes. I am dissatisfied with idleness.

My strength is running out. I don't see any use for them.

You are right, said Gilgamesh. - After all, I’m thinking about business too.

Listen: I know the country, it doesn’t look like the steppes.

The mountains of Lebanon rise, covered with cedar forest.

This forest is protected by the monstrous warrior Humbaba.

Immense mountains. No one will penetrate into the depths.

Evil is collected in his body. Come on, let's destroy Humbaba

And we will drive out evil from the world, and we will also chop down cedars.

These places are familiar to me,” Enkidu answered immediately.

There I wandered in the neighborhood along with a herd of gazelles.

There is an immense forest there. No one will penetrate into the depths

He is like a hurricane. Humbaba's mouth is a flame.

He breathes death out of his mouth. Who would want to fight him?

This is what I wish,” Gilgamesh answered Enkidu.

Neither the forest scares me, nor the moat that surrounds it.

We will penetrate into the forest with you. Weapons are combat weapons

I have the axe, and we will order another one from the craftsmen.

And we will break, Enkidu, with you any hostile force.

You, craftsmen of Uruk, fan the furnaces with bellows.

Let the flame rise, let Humbaba see it.

Let the green stones melt - those that are brought

On ships from overseas, let the copper be poured into molds

And it will turn into axes that suit our hands.

The craftsmen bowed to the king, and fire shot up over Uruk.

From a distance the city seemed like a huge blazing furnace.

Having learned what the ruler had planned, the people left their homes.

The elders walked sedately, leading the procession.

On days when ice floes crumble somewhere in its sources.

Listen, people of Uruk. I want to see Humbaba.

Whose name of the country burns and shakes all the mountains.

And among the mighty cedars I want to defeat him

And the name aicauneou of Uruk - let the world hear this name.

And the cedars will bow to me like captives, I will deliver them to you

And I will glorify my name forever among the nations.

“You are still young, sir,” the elders all answered at once.

You follow your heart, regardless of your reason.

Humbaba is powerful and terrible; you will die in a difficult battle.

After all, for him your weapon is like cedar needles.

Glancing at Enkidu, the lord answered the elders:

Elders, look at your brother and leave your worries.

With him, I'm not afraid of Humbaba. Together we will achieve victory.

Should I be afraid of Humbaba, having such a friend?

One cannot overcome the steep slope, but two can climb.

A rope twisted in half will not break soon.

I have found a strong friend. I’m ready to take on anyone with him.

Table III.

The elders blessed the brothers, saying goodbye:

You, Gilgamesh, lord, do not rely on your strength.

Rely on Enkidu for everything. He knows the steppe paths,

He is accustomed to long hikes and knows the way to cedars.

You, Enkidu, take care of your friend. If he gets tired, give him your back

Cover him with your chest in battle and dig a well in the desert.

So he could get drunk. We entrust you with the king.

If you return to Uruk, you will receive a great reward.

My friend, let's go back to Egelmi,

There we will appear before Ninsun.

She knows the path of life, the goddess will help with advice.

The brothers entered the house of the greatest goddess timidly.

Seeing her son, Ninsun raised her eyebrows in surprise:

I see you are armed,” she turned to Gilgamesh.

Is there some kind of enemy threatening Uruk and are you looking for my help?

The enemy is not dangerous to Uruk,” Gilgamesh answered the goddess.

We threaten Humbaba, protector of the cedars of Lebanon.

He has absorbed all earthly evil, and we will destroy him.

Leaving the brothers alone, the goddess retired to her place

Refresh your wonderful body with a cleansing root,

Decorate the chest with a necklace and girdle with a ribbon.

Having accomplished all this, she ascends to the roof.

There, having burned incense, she raised her voice:

Shamash, the just god who encircles heaven and earth,

Gilgamesh was given to me by you, explain it if you wish,

Why did you put a restless heart in my grief,

Why did he direct him onto a road that threatened him with death?

They say that there is a lot of evil in the world, but let others fight it.

So at least take care of my son.

When you go into darkness, entrust it to the guards of the night.

Having prayed, she came down from the roof and extinguished the censers,

And then she called Enkidu and addressed him with a speech:

You are a mighty, great warrior, although not born of me,

I dedicate you to my son, serve my Gilgamesh.

Together with the maiden priestesses who serve me faithfully.

And as a sign of dedication she placed it around his mighty neck

Talisman, against disasters and the evil eye, and also handed him

The most baked loaf...

Table IV.

Shamash's brothers set off again along the beaten path,

Protected by a friendly glance. Having finished the day, we rested,

After one night, Gilgamesh turned to Enkidu:

I grappled with three mighty aurochs alone in the steppe.

Dust flew up in columns from powerful hooves and roars.

I was amazed. But someone, I don’t know - a beast or a man

He hurried to help me and gave me something to drink from a jug.

What does this vision mean and what does it portend for me?

Listen to me, Gilgamesh! - Enkidu responded.

Your dream is beautiful and don’t let it scare you.

The one who came to the rescue is neither a man nor a beast,

Shamash, our merciful god or perhaps

Your parent is Lugalbanda. Trust me:

The feats that we will accomplish will not be forgotten by people.

They walked again and again stood to rest,

They ate a loaf of bread and were troubled by dreams,

For night visions are given to man by the gods.

You called me. Did you touch me? Why did the dream end?

I'll tell you another dream. We found ourselves in a gorge.

Suddenly a roar was heard. The mountain collapsed on me.

I crushed my legs. And suddenly someone appears.

The view is wonderful. He threw away the stones from mine

He calmed my heart and gave me something to drink from a jug.

Who is this unknown friend? I want to know, Enkidu.

My friend,” said Enkidu, “this dream of yours is excellent.

He promises good things for you, although you were frightened by him.

It was not the mountain that collapsed, it was Humbaba that collapsed.

The mighty guardian of the cedars is no longer dangerous to us.

We will throw Humbaba's body to the birds and feed it to be devoured.

And again they walked and again stood to rest.

They ate a slice of bread. Enkidu dug a well.

Gilgamesh went to the edge of it and threw a pinch

Taken from the house of flour, and addressed the mountain:

Listen, mountain, and the night vision came to me.

A cold wind blew. Enkidu covered Gilgamesh,

He remained nearby to guard his friend, who fell asleep immediately.

Waking up again in the middle of the night, the king turned to Enkidu:

I had a third dream, the most terrible one.

The sky screamed as if in pain, the earth rumbled.

Lightning flashed in the sky, the downpour was worse than death.

The mountain that hung over yesterday has become flying ash.

Having recognized the meaning of the dream, Enkidu said to Gilgamesh:

This is what the dream means: Humbaba is much more dangerous,

What did you and I think? He is in a fiery robe,

More precisely - in seven robes, dressed one on top of the other.

He is under powerful protection, and I feel that it is more reasonable

He will return to Uruk without entering into battle with him.

My body went numb and my legs felt weak.

Brother,” Gilgamesh objects. - Are we really going to come back with nothing?

Having come a long way? Are we really going to give in to Humbaba?

Remember your past victories, and your spirit, Enkidu, will grow stronger,

The numbness will be driven away, the muscles will be filled with strength again.

Table V

The ditch is crossed, and they enter in surprise

In the ranks of the forest giants. Nature breathed peace,

But the insidious Humbaba crawled up to them unnoticed.

His powerful body in the robe was magical.

Shamash noticed the danger, and a storm came from the sky.

He released eight winds, and thunder roared.

Lightning crossed like the swords of giants.

And blinded by the winds and deafened by thunder,

We will surrender to you, winner! You can take me as a slave!

Cut down as many cedars as you want, the forests are my offspring.

I will deliver them to their place myself, I will build a palace for you.

Remember the cunning of Humbaba! - Enkidu's voice was heard.

He doesn't deserve mercy. But we will deal with him later.

Much more dangerous than Humbaba are the rays in a magical robe.

If they are extinguished, their mighty creator will be eclipsed.

No! - Gilgamesh responded. - If a bird is caught,

The chicks have nowhere to go. Let's deal with Humbaba first.

As for the rays of radiance, let's leave them for last.

So, convincing Enkidu, Gilgamesh raises the ax,

Directing it with force directly at the back of Humbaba's head.

Enkidu thrusts his sword into the chest of the keeper of the cedars.

It’s time to take care of the chicks, said the lord. - And right away

He began to trample the luminous robe with his feet.

Meanwhile, Enkidu tore something else from the motionless body

And he threw it into a hole with water - and the water boiled in the hole,

Emitting hot steam. Enkidu threw a net

For the five remaining lights. And they all turned out to be

In the same boiling pit, filling it to the brim.

Now let's take on the cedars! - said Gilgamesh and the ax

He hit the trunk. And the forest shook from the blow.

“What are you doing, my friend,” said Enkidu.

You are destroying a living body. I smell blood.

It is similar to a human one, only of a different color.

Table VI.

In the morning, waking up from sleep, Gilgamesh cleans his weapon.

Having thrown off his dirty clothes, he puts on everything that is clean.

Having put on the robe, he tries on the tiara.

Ishtar turned her gaze to the beauty of Gilgamesh.

She addressed him with a speech: “Become my husband, sir!”

As a gift from me you will receive a heavenly chariot,

The wheels shine with gold, the amber frame glows.

Immediately fast mules will take you to heaven.

You will see my palace and walk through the doors

In the fragrance of cedars. My knees are in front of you

My servants will bow down and bestow wealth.

I don't want to listen to you. - Gilgamesh answers the goddess.

It’s better that I give you the gifts you want.

I will decorate your heavenly house, fill your barns with grain,

Just don't touch you. Your womb is disgusting.

You are like a brazier that does not bring warmth in the cold,

You are like a holey door that lets all the winds into the house,

You are like a well without a lid, open to a sand whirlwind,

You are a sandal that pinches your foot, you are a fur that allows water to pass through.

Remember who you loved, and swore your love without blushing.

Where is the wonderful young man Dumuzi and why is he suffering?

The little shepherd bird loved him and destroyed him like the others.

Do you hear him crying: “Wings, give me back my wings”!

You fell in love with the mighty lion - seven traps are his reward.

You let the stallion lie on the bed so that you could send it to the stable,

To put a bridle in his mouth and deprive him of the desired freedom.

And you also gave your love to the goatherd.

He baked cakes over the fire and brought sucklings every day

You turned him into a wolf, and the shepherds are chasing him.

Ishallana was loved by you, he touched your womb.

Where is this loving husband now? You turned him into a spider!

Having heard this daring speech, the goddess soared into the sky

And she appeared before the eyes of her father Anu.

Tears flowed in a stream, and eyes sparkled like stars.

“Oh, my father,” she screamed. - Gilgamesh offended me:

He listed my sins and defamed me in front of everyone.

“You yourself,” the parent answered her, “insulted the king of Uruk.”

That is why Gilgamesh listed your sins.

No, he will be punished by me,” the goddess continued.

If you don't support me, I'll open hell

And from there I will release the dead so that they can devour everyone alive.

Frightened by this threat, Anu turned to the goddess:

I agree. What punishment did you decide to give him?

Give me the bull,” said the goddess, “let him destroy it.”

There will be a bull, Anu replies. - Only he needs food,

For he is an earthly bull, not a heavenly one, he loves grass and chaff,

But its main strength is in the grain. So clean out people's barns,

So that my bull would not be hungry and could fight with Gilgamesh.

“Everything you ask will be done,” the goddess answered her father.

People remembered this night. The bull fell from the sky to the ground,

He landed on the banks of the Euphrates. In seven gulps he drained the river,

And he wandered, bellowing, to Uruk, because Ishtar was urging him on.

You can still see the pits from the breath of the terrible beast.

The brothers heard the noise and left the city walls.

The bull, seeing the heroes walking, splashed caustic saliva into their faces.

And he hit it with his huge tail. Enkidu bent over from the blow,

And he grabbed the bull’s horn, raising his mighty muzzle.

Gilgamesh hit him in the throat, and the bull fell lifeless.

Gilgamesh cut out the monster's heart as a gift to Shamash.

From the wall of Uruk the goddess vomited in impotent rage

Blame and curses to brothers. And then Gilgamesh contrived

He cut out the root of the bull and threw it in the face of the goddess.

The goddess called all the harlots to mourn this loss.

This huge bovine root looked like a tree trunk.

Gilgamesh summoned craftsmen to set the horns in silver.

They contained six measures of oil for a libation offering.

In honor of his father Lugalbanda.

Table VII.

That day brought them joy. Before dark we remembered,

How they struck the bull and how they laughed at Ishtar.

They fell into sleep. And in the middle of the night Enkidu cried out,

Waking up Gilgamesh, he told his friend about the vision.

I dreamed of a heavenly palace and a meeting of the great gods.

And Anu tells Ellil: “But they killed the bull.”

And Humbaba, guardian of the forest. And they stole the cedars.

Gilgamesh is responsible for this. The king of Uruk must die.

No, Enkidu will answer for everything! - Ellil exclaimed indignantly.

Shamash intervened in their conversation: - What guilt is he responsible for?

Was it not by your command, Anu, the bull of heaven and Humbaba were killed?

“You’d better keep quiet, my son,” Anu responded in anger.

After all, you yourself were their guide and accomplice to their crimes.

Enkidu lay down on the bed, pale. His lips trembled.

Gilgamesh burst into tears: “Why, oh my dear friend,

Why was I acquitted? After all, we both killed Humbaba

And they struck down the bull of heaven. And Shamash was our advisor.

But I will save you from death. I will beg the gods for forgiveness.

I will bring all the riches to the altar. I will make all the idols rich.

These sacrifices will not help you. There is no need for you to spend gold.

Anu does not change his mind, the word will not return to his mouth.

Such is the fate of man. Everything living is subject to death.

“I am ready to submit to the gods,” Enkidu answers in tears.

May everything that you predicted by sending this prophetic dream come true.

But while my mind is with me, accept my wishes.

I, like an animal, was born in the desert and would not have known human suffering,

If a hunter had passed by, he would not have brought the harlot into the desert.

I would still be grazing with gazelles and crowding around the watering hole.

Let there be punishment for both. I send curses to them.

Let the hunter's hands weaken and he will not pull the bowstring!

Let the arrow not reach its target, let the animals bypass the trap!

But let the main troubles fall on the villainous harlot.

Let her forget about the hearth, let her be driven out of the harem!

Let the beer do no good to her, let it come out as vomit!

Let her live alone and let her get cold in the cold!

Let a beggar visit her, let a tramp beat her! .

I remove your curse. Who, Enkidu, fed you bread?

Who introduced you to strong drink, which brings oblivion to troubles?

Who gave Gilgamesh as a comrade, who is now sitting next to you.

He will calm your heart, as a brother and friend should,

He will lay you on a bed of honor, he will call upon foreign kings

And having completed his mournful ritual, he will retire to the lions in the desert.

Table VIII.

As soon as the morning began to glow, Gilgamesh bowed over Enkidu,

Placing her hand on his chest, she sang a funeral hymn for him:

Son of the desert and my best friend, the antelope gave birth to you,

You were fed with gazelle milk in distant mountain pastures.

The animals that crowd around the watering hole remember you,

In the cedar groves, Enkidu, the paths mourn for you,

The wooded mountain ledges that you and I climbed are crying.

And Evlei sheds tears, and the flooded Euphrates weeps,

Having returned to his previous course, he remembers the bull of heaven.

The elders of the city, those who accompanied us on the march, are shedding tears.

Women cry in Uruk, who fed you bread

The one who gave you the wine is crying. The harlot tears out her hair,

The one who brought you to the city and made you human.

How can I not cry for you when we are like brothers.

You, Enkidu, are my powerful ax, you are my flawless dagger,

My shield that saved me, the cloak that I wear on holiday.

Why can't you hear me? I touched my chest, but my heart didn’t beat.

I will cover you with a veil, as one covers the face of a bride...

As soon as the morning dawned, Gilgamesh summoned all the craftsmen,

Everyone who works with their hands - blacksmiths, stone cutters and others.

He instructed them to make an idol, the likes of which had never been seen in the world.

So that Enkidu stands as if alive on the foot of the eternal stone.

So that the body is made of gold, the face is made of light alabaster,

So that the curls of the forehead decorate and shine with lapis lazuli...

As soon as the morning began to glow, Gilgamesh sculpted a figurine

I made a wooden pole and placed the figurine on it.

He filled a vessel made of azure with honey, a cup made of carnelian with oil.

And Enkidu turned to the gods of heaven with a prayer for the soul.

The gods smelled the victim, Gilgamesh heard the word,

And from the dwellings of heaven they descended to earth.

Ellil opens his mouth and says to Gilgamesh:

Everything that breath has must obey the law.

The plowman loosens the ground, sows, and removes the crops.

The hunter of animals kills, he is fed and in the skin of an animal.

But death befalls everyone, darkness gives way to light,

Light gives way to darkness. The lot of people is the same.

What are you looking for in a world that lives according to eternal laws?

Table IX.

Tormenting my heart with tears, leaving my kingdom,

Gilgamesh fled into the desert. And by the sandy hills,

Similar to female breasts, he sank to the ground.

I fell asleep instantly. But he brought no consolation.

And without waiting for dawn, he headed for the mountains.

He heard a lion's roar, saw the animals frolicking,

It was like puppies were playing. - Why do you not know grief?

Gilgamesh turned to the lion. - Enkidu passed away,

The one with whom they once crowded at the watering hole,

He diverted arrows from you, covered traps with earth,

Where is Enkidu, tell me? Without waiting for an answer from the animals,

Gilgamesh picks up his ax and rushes with lightning towards the flock.

He fell like an arrow between the lions, crushing the unconscious ones.

Immediately beyond the pass stretched the extreme mountains.

Their roots go into the abyss, their tops touch the sky.

Here is the beginning of sunrise and the end of sunset,

Mountains named Masha. The cave is closed by a door

And her guards guard her in the form of scorpions,

But with a human head.

Overcoming horror, Gilgamesh approaches the scorpion.

There is no way for people here. - said the scorpion. - Only Shamash

May enter a cave. We open the gates for him.

“I’m looking for a dead friend,” Gilgamesh responded with a groan.

Enkidu was my younger brother, and together we defeated Humbaba.

Together they also defeated the bull. I want to see Utnapishtim.

He alone achieved immortality. Let me enter this cave.

The doors opened silently, yielding to a powerful feeling.

Gilgamesh entered the cave and walked, not counting steps.

What for Shamash was one short night,

For Gilgamesh it was a dozen years without dawn.

And yet the dawn broke, and yet the breath of the wind

It touched Gilgamesh's cheeks. Walking towards the wind,

He came out of the dark cave. A grove came into view.

Fruits hung from the trees, similar to those on earth,

But the beauty is incomparable. He reached out to them with his hand

And scratched his fingers, leaving drops of blood

On dead likenesses of apples, figs and grapes.

And it became clear to the hero - the trees were petrified,

The trunks became black stone and the leaves lapis lazuli,

The fruits are topaz and jasper, ruby ​​and carnelian.

And this garden was created for the dead, so that on the way to the underworld

To remind you of your old life, to which there will be no return.

Table X.

Leaving the deceptive grove and going out into the radiance of the Sun,

The hero saw the ocean, the endless lower abyss.

Above the abyss he saw a cliff, like a black bird,

Drinking water with its beak. And the head of this bird

The house seemed low, without windows, with a flat roof.

Gilgamesh approaches him and sees that the door is closed.

But someone’s breathing did not escape the ears behind the door.

Get away, robber,” a woman’s voice was heard.

There is no way for tramps here, here I am, the owner of the shelter,

I receive the gods themselves and treat them with strong drink.

And all the gods know me, for them I am the mistress of Siduri.

Kindly open the doors for me. Otherwise I'll break them.

I am not a robber or an unknown tramp at all.

I am two-thirds God, and one-third man.

My name is Gilgamesh, I am from the city of Uruk,

Which is glorified by me. With my friend Enkidu

I destroyed Humbaba, who guarded the cedar forest,

We also killed the bull that was sent against us from heaven.

I scattered the mighty lions that have no memory

And they don’t know how to grieve for those who stood up for them.

Immediately the door opened to admit Gilgamesh.

Looking into the stranger’s face, the hostess Siduri said.

Tell me, who killed Humbaba, I don’t feel sorry for him at all,

Tell me why you're sad. Why is your head drooping?

How not to droop your head, and how not to wither your face,

Gilgamesh answered the hostess, “If my friend Enkidu,

With whom we shared our labors, he became grave dust.

That is why, like a robber, I wander around the world.

The thought of my beloved brother haunts me.

Show me the way to it. How to get to Utnapishtim.

I will ford the sea just to get to it.

The hostess tells the hero: “There has been no crossing here since centuries.”

Shamash flies around the lead waters of death like a bird,

And one old man, Urshanabi, sails on a boat,

What transports the dead. He knows the way to Utnapishtim,

To the only mortal who has left the law.

The hero said goodbye to Siduri and directed his steps towards the forest.

He came out of the forest to the river and saw on the shore

A shuttle and next to it an old man with a spear or a long stick.

“Why are you wandering around, lagging behind the dead,” Urshanabi said to the hero.

Come in, I will take you straight to the eternal pier.

“No, I haven’t left behind the dead,” answered the hero Urshanabi.

My heart beats in my chest, although there is no sparkle in my gaze,

The cheeks withered from grief, the head drooped from tears.

What a miracle! “I hear blows,” Urshanabi said.

Indeed, the heart is beating. Why did you come here?

To this country of no return, to the eternal waters of death.

“I came driven by sadness,” Gilgamesh Urshanabi answered.

I want to find my friend and make him immortal.

Now let me into the boat and take me to Utnapishtim.

Let’s go,” said Urshanabi. - I will fulfill your request.

The others I drove didn’t ask me for anything.

Here's a pole for you to balance. Don't touch the water with them.

Gilgamesh unfastened his belt, undressed his clothes

He tied it tightly to the pole and raised the pole like a mast.

Cheln Urshanabi drove, so the moisture is leaden

Gilgamesh did not touch death like this with his pole.

Utnapishtim walks around the island, surrounded by an eternal abyss.

Walking along an unchanging path, he bypasses his possessions.

The eternal abyss is motionless. No fish will jump out of it.

There is no sound of wings above her, no sharp bird cry.

Behind the mountains, which are not visible, are Shuruppak and the waters of the Euphrates.

There is no news from there, only the boat Urshanabi arrives,

For death has no delay. - What happened to my eyes?

Hey wife! This is Urshanabi's boat, but there is a sail rising above it.

It has never happened before that a sail has been raised here.

Don’t worry, your eyes are sharp, - Utnapishtim’s wife answers,

As in those years when, amidst the fog that covered the earth and sky,

You saw the mountain of salvation and moored to its top.

And my eyes see the sail. And the dead man holds this sail.

Look how pale his cheeks are. The sailor probably drowned

That he cannot live without a sail. And he swims faster than others

To a land where there is no need to rush, because there is no return for the dead.

You're saying something absurd! - Utnapishtim objected to his wife,

For many hundreds of years I have been watching how the souls of the dead are transported,

Preserving their appearance. Who hasn't been here! And the king and the plowman,

And a flutist, and a blacksmith, and a carpenter. And they bring them without a crown,

Without a hoe, without a forge, without a flute.

Judge who asks a dead person what he would like to take with him.

Gilgamesh goes ashore, leaving Urshanabi's boat.

He walks, leaving footprints in the sand, and it’s immediately clear

No matter what, Urshanabi is dead from the boat, but an alien with a living soul.

And Utnapishtim approaches him, addressing him with a question:

Why are your cheeks sunken, why is your head drooping?

Maybe your cheeks are scorched from long wanderings?

Maybe because of the wind and cold there is no more sparkle in your eyes?

I lost younger brother. He left for a country of no return,

The hero Utnapishtim answers. - I can’t come to terms with this.

Everything in my life became distasteful to me. So I'm looking for him all over the world.

Utnapishtim shook his head and responded with a sad speech.

Why do you not want to come to terms with the portion assigned to people?

Fate left no place for people at the meeting of immortals.

Realize that goddesses and gods are full grains of wheat,

Well, everything else is chaff. Death gives no mercy to people.

The human house is short-lived, like the seal that we put on clay.

Even our hatred is instantaneous...

Table XI.

How did you escape the law? - Gilgamesh questions him.

How are you better than me and others? Neither stronger, nor taller.

Why are you honored with immortality? How did you manage to please the Almighty?

It turned out like this. I lived in Shuruppak, which is located on the Euphrates River.

You know this city. I am your fellow countryman and distant ancestor.

An ancient city, dear to the gods. They came to the meeting

Anu, Ellil, their messenger Ninurta, and Ea were with them.

Their hearts were inclined towards the flood. They took an oath of secrecy.

I did not break that oath of Ea, to whose heart I was dear.

Having descended from heaven to earth, he addressed his home:

Listen to the wall, dare if you can:

The day will come, rain will pour from the sky.

But before that, wall,

The owner will dismantle it into logs,

To build a raft from logs,

To put it on a raft,

The house is large, with four corners,

Whoever ends up in this house

Avoid sudden death.

This hint was clear to me. But one thing remained unclear

How will people and neighbors perceive my behavior as Shuruppak?

Explain, - advised Ea, - that you decided to sail to the Ocean,

Over whom Ea rules. I started work within a week.

He dismantled his father's house into logs and destroyed the fence of the house.

The logs and boards were useful to me, and the raft turned out well.

The house was placed with right angles on a huge box like

Divided into nine compartments. It had six decks in height.

To prevent water from leaking into it, I sealed the cracks with resin.

The children brought it to me. I took a pine tree for a stern oar.

Started stocking up on supplies. He brought in sheep and rams for food,

Steppe cattle and forest animals settled in my home.

I introduced my family with the craftsmen who helped me in my work,

And he assigned a place to everyone. Shamash took care of us,

Announcing the beginning of the rain so that we had time to tar the door.

The pale morning lit up a little when a black cloud appeared,

Returned the night, and immediately the roar listened to Addu,

And unable to bear his gaze, the whole earth shook like a bowl.

The south wind rushed into the mountains, crushing trees and rocks.

The gods of the flood were afraid and rushed to the protection of Anu.

And at his feet, stretched out like dogs, they howled in horror.

And Ishtar screamed heart-rendingly, like a woman in labor:

Show me the scoundrel that the flood brought down on the earth.

I didn’t give birth to people so that they would turn into fish.

All six days from the beginning of the flood our ship carried and rocked,

For seven nights I was in darkness, I felt the blows of stormy waves,

But they became weaker. The young wind died down little by little.

The rain no longer hit the roof. And I decided to open the window.

Shamash illuminated the space for me, and traces poured from my eyes

The ocean spread around, Humanity became clay.

How many days passed that I don’t remember, but I approached the window again.

And I saw a mountain protruding from the water on the horizon.

I recognized her by her outline. Nitzar was the name of this mountain.

I managed to direct the ship towards it, and the mountain held it.

Gradually the water subsided, and I began to count down the days.

When the seventh day arrived, I released the dove.

But he returned back, because the soil had not yet dried out.

I then released the swift, but he also returned

Raven was the last one I let go. A bird noticed the drop in water

And she never came back. I heard her sharp scream.

Having opened the door, he went down to the ground. He burned incense on the mountain.

I set up incense burners twice seven, and I broke cedar branches.

And they flocked like flies to this victim in a greedy crowd.

The Mother Goddess appeared last. Lapis lazuli necklace

It adorned the wondrous neck, a gift from the lord of heaven Anu.

And touching it with your hand and admiring its radiance

She says: “This stone, given to me, is intended to mark

Delivering the earth from the flood. Fill yourself, gods, with gifts,

You are worthy of them, just drive Ellil away from human gifts.

It was he who personally ordered the extermination of people.

Also Ea, my patron, addressed Ellil with reproach.

You caused the flood in vain, you caused it without thinking.

In vain you imposed equal punishment on the guilty and the right.

Since there was a surplus of people, he would unleash ravenous lions on them,

Either he would have given it to the wolves as food, or he would have called Erru for help.

Now show Utnapishtim and his wife his place to live.

The culprit of the flood approached. I was hiding on the ship out of fear.

But he brought me to the ground and addressed me with the words:

You were a man, Utnapishtim, and from now on you are like the gods.

And from now on your home is the mouth of rivers. And there is no death for you.

So I found myself here in the middle of the abyss, along with my wife.

So, for torment and obedience he was awarded endless life.

Suddenly Gilgamesh fell asleep, and he did not hear the end of the speech.

An unusual dream blew over him, like a sandstorm.

Utnapishtim's wife says: - Wake up a person for life.

Let him return to his homeland along the road familiar to him.

Utnapishtim shook his head. - Do not rush. Let him sleep off.

In the meantime, bake him some bread and place some loaves of bread on his bed.

Don’t forget to mark the marks of the day on the wall with a knife.

Seven days passed, from which marks remained on the wall.

And when Gilgamesh woke up, Utnapishtim heard from him:

Death took possession of my flesh, for there were no dreams.

A trace of fatigue is your long sleep,” Utnapishtim reassured him.

Look what happened to the bread your wife baked for you,

It is now unsuitable for food. but you're alive. Go to the stream

Wash away the remnants of the deadly sleep, replace your clothes.

However, the shuttle appeared. Urshanabi will help you.

And when Gilgamesh departed, Utnapishtim's wife said:

My bread has gone stale. What can a man give me now for my journey?

“Whoever has a restless heart,” Utnapishtim answers his wife,

He does not know the cares of life, this man is not fed with bread,

And with his insane boldness. And instead of stale bread

I will reveal my secret word to my restless husband.

Gilgamesh washed himself with spring water and changed his clothes.

His body became beautiful, but the sadness on his face did not go away.

Gilgamesh descended into the shuttle, standing next to Urshanabi,

You walked, got tired and worked. What will you return home with?

I will tell you my secret parting word.

There is a flower at the bottom of the ocean, petals on a tall stem

Flaming tongues. If you, Gilgamesh, are restless,

If you get this flower, you won’t face the threat of old age,

Death will pass you by. Here it is, the hidden word.

Gilgamesh heard this word and rushed to the well like an arrow.

He tied stones to his feet and sank to the bottom of the abyss.

The eye was attracted by the blazing flower on a prickly stem.

Petals of fire flamed like tongues in the darkness of the abyss.

Touching the flower with his hand, Gilgamesh pricked himself on the thorns.

And, having received his living blood, the flower flared up like a torch.

And rising with him to the surface, Gilgamesh said to Urshanabi:

Here is a flower, taken from the abyss and giving hope to life,

Taking away strength from death. I will return to incomparable Uruk

And I’ll test the flower in public. I'll try it on myself.

Gilgamesh said goodbye to Urshanabi. The desert opened up before him.

It is an oasis and a deep pond. I wanted to cool my body

Gilgamesh sank into the pond. When he went upstairs,

A snake flashed in front of him. The snake carried away the flower,

Changing my skin as I go. Gilgamesh burst into tears:

Why did I work my life, I brought no benefit to anyone...

Alexander Nemirovsky

From the book “Ancient Myths - Middle East”

Notes

1. The creator of the epic, like Homer and his successors, begins with brief introduction merits of his hero, who not only committed

exploits, but he himself perpetuated them, using for this not clay, but an eternal stone. The author might have known the inscriptions of the king of Lagash Gudea praising his activities, the inscription of the king of Babylon Hammurabi.

2. Uruk ( modern city Warqa, in southern Iraq) is one of the most famous cities of Sumer. According to the legendary tradition, this is the second of the cities that achieved hegemony over the Sumerians. The founder of the royal dynasty is considered to be Meskiagasher, the son of the sun god Utu. The founding of Uruk is attributed to his son Enmerkar, who was succeeded by the epic hero Lugalbanda, father of Gilgamesh. Archaeological excavations of Uruk, which began in 1849, continue to this day, because in terms of area (5 sq. km) Uruk is one of the largest cities of ancient Mesopotamia.

3. Eanna, temple of Anu, the god of the sky, in Sumerian “house of Anu.” According to archaeological data, this is a complex of buildings above which rose a tower - a ziggurat. One of the many temples of the walled sacred area was the temple of the goddess of love and fertility Inanna (Ininn), corresponding to the Akkadian-Babylonian Ishtar. The ziggurat, called Zgiarimin, was the construction of Ur-Nammu, the founder of the royal dynasty of Ur.

4. Of the walls of Uruk, considered the creation of Gilgamesh, only traces remained in the soil. Archaeologists date them to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. e.

5. The Seven Wise Men are the heroes of an etiological myth common in Mesopotamia, Canaan and India. During the time of Homer, the plot was inherited by the ancient world and filled with new content.

6. Thus, according to formal characteristics, Gilgamesh is a hero in the Greek understanding of this term. True, in Hellenic myths the relationship between the divine and human principles in the hero was never determined.

7. Pukku - some kind of weapon that cannot be identified with widespread types of weapons. This may be a net known to the ancient Sumerians and later used in Roman gladiatorial combat.

8. Druzhina - a permanent contingent of soldiers, supplemented if necessary by a militia. The king and the warriors had a close relationship. They were entering the palace. In peacetime, as can be seen from the epic, the population suffered from the “exploits” of the tsar and his “well done men.”

9. These and other not entirely clear details of Gilgamesh’s behavior that were omitted from the presentation characterize him as a “scourge of the people,” a “tyrant” in the modern sense of the word. The subsequent victory over him by the man of nature Enkidu humanized Gilgamesh.

10. The king directs the hunter to Eanna, where in the temple of Inanna-Ishtar lived priestesses who supported the cult of love and fertility through sexual acts. The word “harlot” introduces a negative connotation, alien to the ideas of the ancient worshipers of Inanna-Ishtar.

11. The epithet of the field name Uruk is translated by some researchers as “area”, by others as “fenced”. We conventionally take the term “perfect”.

12. Ishhara - a deity of unknown origin, revered in Western Asia, among the Semites and Hurrians (in Ur, Ugarit, Babylon), possibly belonging to the pre-Sumerian linguistic substrate, initially the goddess of fertility, later the “mistress of justice” and warrior. In the epic of Gilgamesh, she replaces the hostile hero Ishtar, and the hero of the epic is in sacred marriage with her.

13. In Sumerian-Akkadian mythology, the monster Humbaba (Sumerian Huwava), guarding the cedar forest of Lebanon on behalf of the god Ellil, was seen as a many-legged and many-armed creature, the same as in Greek mythology the Lord of the West Geryon.

14. Egalmakh - a great palace.

15. Rays of radiance are a fabulous weapon endowed with Humbaba.

16. Ishtar betrayed her beloved Dumuzi, giving him to her sister, the goddess of the underworld.

17. In the stories about Ishtar’s lovers, she is not only the goddess of fertility, but also the goddess of hunting, war, and the patroness of culture. Hence the lion she caught, the horse she tamed, the animal of war, the connection with the gardener, who was then turned into a spider.

18. Enkidu’s curse on the harlot characterizes the situation of “free love” in Mesopotamia. Along with the priestesses and priests of love, who were in a privileged position, there were street prostitutes who huddled near the walls and waited for clients in crowded places (see: Bott (ro, 1998, 352 et seq.).

19. This verbal formula is used by the Akkadian poet to divide episodes in time.

20. The Evlei River (modern Karun) flowed east of Sumer. In the surviving parts of the epic there is no information about the heroes visiting these places.

21. Gilgamesh’s farewell to Enkidu is reminiscent of Homer’s lamentation of Achilles over Patroclus (Il., XVIII, 316 et seq.). Achilles also places his hands on his friend’s body and remembers the feats they accomplished together. But how much more humane is Gilgamesh than Achilles? He does not make human sacrifices to the gods, dedicating only a clay figurine to them. Realizing that he is the culprit of Enkidu’s death, he retires to the desert that gave birth to Enkidu and, not reconciling himself with death, tries to bring his friend’s soul out of the underworld.

22. Gilgamesh was considered an opponent of lions and was often depicted on clay figurines fighting lions. This visual image was adopted by the Greeks and embodied in the image of Hercules, who was considered the conqueror of the monstrous lion and was depicted in a lion's skin.

23. The mountains through which Gilgamesh passed, according to the Sumerians and Akkadians, were at the edge of the world, supporting the heavenly dome. Through an opening in these mountains, the sun god descended after the end of the day into the kingdom of night, in order to pass through the same mountains on the other side of the earth the next morning.

24. Ideas about the garden of the underworld could reflect impressions from visiting underground caves.

25. Urshanabi - boatman, carrier of the souls of the dead to the underworld, predecessor of the Etruscan Haru and Greek Charon.

26. The almost universal spread of the flood myth has a common archaic source - one or more disasters. The variants are the result of migration from Mesopotamia. Floods are part of a kind of cosmic rhythm.

27. Erra - god of epidemics in Sumerian-Akkadian mythology.

28. Due to the break in the text, the role of the flower stolen by the snake is unclear. It is possible that it was similar in purpose to the golden branch in the myth of Aeneas in the underworld as presented by Virgil. Most likely, Gilgamesh, who arrived in the underworld on the path of the sun (alone or together with Enkidu), could only return with the “flower of the sun” as a symbol of the upper world.

Federal agency of Education

Novosibirsk State University Economics and Management – ​​NINH

Academic discipline: Cultural studies

Department: Philosophy

Test:

Option 5

"The Epic of Gilgamesh"

Group number: n MOP91

Name of specialty:

"Organisation management"

Student:___________________

Record book number (student card):

Institute registration date:

"____" __________ 200__

Date of registration by the department:

"____" __________ 200__

Checked: _____________________

Makarova N.I.

year 2009

Introduction

History of the Epic of Gilgamesh

Hero of the epic

"The Epic of Gilgamesh"

Conclusion

Bibliography

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this work is to introduce the “Epic of Gilgamesh” - the greatest poetic work of ancient Eastern literature and, through the poem, to study ancient Eastern culture.

The Sumerians are an ancient people who once inhabited the territory of the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the south modern state Iraq (Southern Mesopotamia or Southern Mesopotamia). In the south, the border of their habitat reached the shores of the Persian Gulf, in the north - to the latitude of modern Baghdad.

The origin of the Sumerians is a matter of debate. The Zagros Mountains to the east of Mesopotamia are put forward as one of the supposed “ancestral homelands”. The possibility of a local origin of the Sumerian civilization cannot be ruled out, as a result of the development of the Ubaid culture that preceded it. The Sumerian epic mentions their homeland, which they considered the ancestral home of all humanity - the island of Dilmun. Attempts to find their original homeland have so far ended in failure.

The Sumerian language, with its bizarre grammar, is not related to any of the languages ​​that have survived to this day.

It must be said that southern Mesopotamia is not the most the best place in the world. Complete absence of forests and minerals. Swampiness, frequent floods, accompanied by changes in the course of the Euphrates due to low banks and, as a consequence, a complete lack of roads. The only thing there was in abundance there was reed, clay and water. However, combined with fertile soil fertilized by floods, this was enough for around 4000 BC. e.the first cities of ancient Sumer flourished there.

These were separate city-states that were constantly at war with each other. Each city had its own ruler and its own deity. But they were united by language, culture, and perhaps ethnicity. The largest of these cities were Eridu, Nippur, Kish, Lagash, Uruk (now Warqa), Ur and Umma.

In the second half of the 4th millennium BC. e. Sumerians appeared in southern Mesopotamia - a people who in later written documents call themselves “black-headed” (Sumerian “sang-ngiga”, Akkadian “tsalmat-kakkadi”). They were a people ethnically, linguistically and culturally alien to the Semitic tribes who settled Northern Mesopotamia at approximately the same time or somewhat later.

At the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. e. in Mesopotamia there were about one and a half dozen city-states. The surrounding small villages were subordinate to the center, headed by a ruler who was sometimes both a military leader and a high priest. These small states are now commonly referred to by the Greek term “nomes.”

By the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. e. On the territory of Sumer, a number of opposing new states of the dual super-ethnic group of Sumerians and Akkadians emerged. The struggle between the nomes was aimed primarily at establishing supreme power, but not a single center could maintain its hegemony for long.

According to the ancient Sumerian epic, around 2600 BC. e. Sumer unites under the rule of Gilgamesh, the king of Uruk, who later transferred power to the dynasty of Ur. Then the throne is seized by Lugalannemundu, the ruler of Adab, who subjugated the Sumerian space from Mediterranean Sea to southwestern Iran. At the end of the 24th century. BC e. the new conqueror, the king of Umma Lugalzagesi, expands these possessions to the Persian Gulf.

In the 24th century BC. e. most of Sumera was conquered by the Akkadian king Sharrumken (Sargon the Great). By the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. e. Sumer was absorbed by the growing Babylonian Empire. Even earlier, by the end of the 3rd millennium BC. e., the Sumerian language lost its colloquial status, although it persisted for another two millennia as a language of literature and culture.

For a whole millennium, the Sumerians were the main actors in the ancient Near East. Sumerian astronomy and mathematics were the most accurate in the entire Middle East. We still divide the year into four seasons, twelve months and twelve signs of the zodiac, measure angles, minutes and seconds in sixties - just as the Sumerians first began to do.

When going to see a doctor, we all... receive prescriptions for drugs or advice from a psychotherapist, without thinking at all that both herbal medicine and psychotherapy first developed and reached a high level precisely among the Sumerians.

Receiving a subpoena and counting on the justice of the judges, we also know nothing about the founders of legal proceedings - the Sumerians, whose first legislative acts contributed to the development of legal relations in all parts of the Ancient World.

Finally, thinking about the vicissitudes of fate, complaining that we were deprived at birth, we repeat the same words that the philosophizing Sumerian scribes first put into clay - but we hardly even know about it.

But perhaps the most significant contribution of the Sumerians to the history of world culture is the invention of writing. Writing became a powerful accelerator of progress in all areas of human activity: with its help, property accounting and production control were established, economic planning became possible, a stable education system appeared, the volume of cultural memory increased, as a result of which the new kind tradition, based on following the canon of the written text.

The Sumerians wrote with their fingers (sticks) on damp clay; they called this activity cuneiform. Interfluve is poor material resources, there is little stone, wood and no high mountains. The plains of Mesopotamia are occasionally interrupted by low hills with flat tops. What there is a lot of there is clay. A well-trained Sumerian can knead twenty baskets of fresh, juicy clay in a day, from which another well-trained Sumerian molds up to forty clay tables. The arctic fox, having sharpened its stick, cheerfully scratches across the clay at random, drawing all sorts of lines that to any sane person would seem like traces of jackdaws or crows.

After the Sumerians, a huge number of clay cuneiform tablets remained. It may have been the world's first bureaucracy. The earliest inscriptions date back to 2900 BC. and contain business records. Researchers complain that the Sumerians left behind a huge number of "economic" records and "lists of gods" but never bothered to write down the "philosophical basis" of their belief system. Therefore, our knowledge is only an interpretation of “cuneiform” sources, most of them translated and rewritten by priests of later cultures, for example, the “Epic of Gilgamesh” that I am considering or the poem “Enuma Elish” dating back to the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. So, perhaps we are reading a kind of digest, similar to an adaptive version of the Bible for modern children. Especially considering that most of the texts are compiled from several separate sources (due to poor preservation).

THE HISTORY OF THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH

One of the most famous works of Sumerian literature is considered to be the "Epic of Gilgamesh" - a collection of Sumerian legends, later translated into Akkadian. Tablets with the epic were found in the library of King Ashurbanipal. The epic tells the story of the legendary king of Uruk Gilgamesh, his savage friend Enkidu and the search for the secret of immortality. One of the chapters of the epic, the story of Utnapishtim, who saved humanity from the Flood, is very reminiscent of the biblical story of Noah's Ark, which suggests that the epic was familiar even to the authors of the Old Testament. It is even more natural to assume that both stories tell about the same event, recorded in the historical memory of peoples independently of each other.

The Epic of Gilgamesh, the famous king of Uruk in Mesopotamia, was written in a time that was completely forgotten until archaeologists began excavating the ruined cities of the Middle East in the 19th century. Until this time, the history of the long period separating Abraham from Noah was contained in only two chapters of Genesis. Of these chapters, only two less well-known names have survived: the hunter Nimrod and the Tower of Babel; in this same cycle of poems, collected around the figure of Gilgamesh, we return directly to the middle of that previously unknown era.

The most recent and complete collection of works on Gilgamesh was found in the library of Ashurbanipal, the last great king of the Assyrian Empire (7th century BC).

The discovery of the epic is due, firstly, to the curiosity of two Englishmen, and then to the work of many scientists who collected, copied and translated the clay tablets on which the poem was written. This work continues in our time, and many gaps are filled from year to year.

You can get acquainted with the epic translated by N.S. Gumileva, I.M. Dyakonova, S.I. Lipkina. Translation by I.M. Dyakonov, amazes with its power, it was transferred, according to V.V. Ivanov, with all possible philological accuracy.