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 Near East - Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite and Hurrian; in addition, mentions of him survived by the Greek writer Elian and the medieval Syrian writer Theodore bar-Konay. The earliest known mention of Gilgamesh is older than 2500 BC. e., at the latest refers to the XI century. n. e. Sumerian epics-tales of Gilgamesh were formed, probably at the end of the first half of the 3rd millennium BC. e., although the records that have come down to us date back to the XIX-XVIII centuries. BC e. The first surviving records of the Akkadian poem about Gilgamesh date back to the same time, although in oral form it was probably formed back in the XXIII-XXII centuries. BC e. Such an older date of the poem's origin 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 her in everything. Some images on seals of the XXIII-XXII centuries. BC e. clearly illustrate not the Sumerian epics, but the Akkadian epic of Gilgamesh.

The oldest, so-called Old Babylonian, version of the Akkadian epic represents a new stage in the artistic development of Mesopotamian literature. This version contains all the main features of the final edition of the epic, but it was much shorter than it; so, it lacked the introduction and conclusion of the late version, as well as the story of the great flood. From the "Old Babylonian" version of the poem, six or seven unconnected passages have come down to us - badly damaged, written in illegible cursive and, in at least one case, with an uncertain student hand. Apparently, a slightly different version is represented by Akkadian fragments found in Megiddo in Palestine and in the capital of the Hittite state - Hattus (now a settlement near the Turkish village of Bogazkoy), as well as fragments of translations into Hittite and Hurrian languages, also found in Bogazkoy; all of them 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 "from the mouth" of the Sin-like-unninni, a Uruk exorcist who apparently lived at the end of the 2nd millennium BC. e. This version is presented by four groups of sources: 1) fragments not younger than the 9th century. BC e., found in the city of Ashur in Assyria; 2) more than one hundred small fragments of the 7th century. BC e., referring 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 under dictation with numerous errors in the VII century. BC e. and originating from a school located in the Assyrian provincial city of Khuzirin (now Sultan-Tepe); 4) fragments of the VI (?) C. BC BC, found in the south of Mesopotamia, in Uruk (now Varka).

The "Nineveh" version is textually very close to the "Old Babylonian", but more extensive, and its language is somewhat updated. There are compositional differences. With the "peripheral" version, as far as one can judge, the "Nineveh" textual convergence was much less. There is an assumption that the text of Sin-like-unninni was 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 was suggested that he had the idea to add at the end of the poem the literal translation of the second half of the Sumerian epic "Gilgamesh and the huluppu tree" as the twelfth table.

Due to the lack of a proven, scientifically substantiated consolidated text of the "Nineveh" version of the poem, the translator often had to decide the question of the relative position of individual clay fragments himself. It should be noted that the reconstruction of some parts of the poem is still an unsolved problem.

The published passages follow the "Nineveh" version of the poem (HB); however, from what has been said above, it is clear that the full text of this version, which in antiquity amounted to about three thousand verses, cannot yet be restored. And other versions have survived only in fragments. The translator filled in the gaps of HB in other versions. If any passage has not been completely preserved in any version, but the gaps between the preserved pieces are small, then the alleged content was completed by the translator in verses. Some of the newest clarifications of the text were not taken into account in the translation.

The Akkadian language is also characterized by tonic versification, which is widespread in Russian; this made it possible, during translation, to try to convey as much as possible the rhythmic moves of the original and, in general, precisely those artistic means used by the ancient author, with a minimum deviation from the literal meaning of each verse.

The text of the preface is given by edition:

Dyakonov M.M., Dyakonov I.M. "Selected translations", M., 1985.

Table I

About everything that has seen to the end of the world,
About the one who knew the sea, who crossed all the mountains,
About enemies who conquered with a friend,
About the one who has comprehended wisdom, about the one who permeated everything
He saw the secret, he knew the secret,
Brought us the news of the days before the flood,
I went on a long journey, but I was tired and resigned,
The story of the labors was carved in stone,
Uruk surrounded by a wall
The bright barn of Eana the sacred.
Inspect the wall, whose crowns, like a thread,
Look at the shaft that knows no likeness,
Touch the ancient rapids
And enter Eana, the abode of Ishtar
Even the future king will not build such a thing, -
Climb up and walk the walls of Uruk
Look at the foundation, feel the bricks:
Are its bricks burnt
And the walls were not laid by seven wise men?

He is two-thirds god, one-third he is a man,
His body image is incomparable,

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

All his comrades are on the drum!
The men of Uruk are afraid in the bedrooms:
“Gilgamesh will not leave a son to his father!

Is it Gilgamesh, shepherd of the enclosed Uruk,
Is he the shepherd of the sons of Uruk,
Powerful, glorious, comprehending everything?


Often the gods heard their complaint,
The gods of heaven called the lord of Uruk:
“You created a violent son, whose head, like a tour, is uplifted,
Whose weapon is unmatched in battle -
All his comrades are on the drum
Gilgamesh will not leave sons to the fathers!
Day and night rampant with flesh:
Is he the shepherd of the enclosed Uruk,
Is he the shepherd of the sons of Uruk,
Powerful, glorious, comprehending everything?
Mother Gilgamesh will not leave a virgin,
Conceived by a hero, betrothed to her husband! "
Anu often heard their complaint.
They called out to the great Arur:
“Aruru, you created Gilgamesh,
Now create a likeness for him!
When courage equals Gilgamesh,
Let them compete, let Uruk rest. "
Aruru, hearing these speeches,
Anu created a likeness in her heart
I washed Aruru's hands
I pinched off the clay, threw it on the ground,
Blinded Enkidu, created a hero.
Spawn of midnight, warrior of Ninurta,
His whole body is covered with wool,
She wears her hair like a woman
Hair strands are thick like bread;
I knew neither people nor the world,
He is dressed like a Sumukan.



Man is a catcher-hunter
Before the watering place he meets him.
The first day, and the second, and the third
Before the watering place he meets him.
The hunter saw - his face changed,
I returned home with my cattle,
Frightened, fell silent, he became numb,
There is sorrow in his chest, his face is darkened,
Longing has penetrated into his womb,
Has become a face to the one walking a long way.
The hunter opened his mouth and said, he tells his father:
“Father, a certain man who came from the mountains, -

As from a stone from heaven his hands are strong, -




I will dig holes - he will fill them,



The father opened his mouth and said, he broadcasts 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.
A woman will conquer him, like a mighty husband!
When he gives water to the beast at the watering hole,

Seeing her, he will approach her -
The beasts that grew with him in the desert will leave him! "
He obeyed his father's advice,
The hunter went to Gilgamesh,
I set off, I turned my feet to Uruk,
In the face of Gilgamesh he spoke a word.
“There is a certain man who came from the mountains,
Throughout the country his hand is mighty,
As from a stone from heaven, his hands are strong!
He wanders forever in all the mountains,
Constantly squeezes with the beast to the watering place,
Constantly directs steps to the watering place.
I'm afraid of him, I dare not approach!
I will dig holes - he will fill them,
I'll set traps - he'll rip them out
The beasts and creatures of the steppe are taking away from my hands, -
He does not allow me to work in the steppe! "
Gilgamesh speaks to him, to the hunter:
“Go, my hunter, bring the harlot Shamhat with you,
When he gives water to the animals at the watering hole,
Let her tear off her clothes, reveal her beauty, -
Seeing her, he will approach her -
The beasts that grew with him in the desert will leave him. "
The hunter went, Shamhat took the harlot with him,
Hit the road, hit the road
On the third day we reached the agreed place.
The hunter and the harlot have ambushed -
One day, two days they sit at the watering hole.
Animals come, drink at the watering hole,
Creatures come, they delight the heart with water,
And he, Enkidu, whose homeland is the mountains,
Together with gazelles he eats herbs,
Together with the beasts it squeezes to the watering place,
Together with creatures, the heart pleases with water.
She saw Shamhat a savage man,
Husband-fighter from the depths of the steppe:
“Here he is, Shamkhat! Open your bosom
Bare your disgrace, let your beauty befall!
Seeing you, he will come up to you -
Don't be embarrassed, take his breath
Throw open your clothes, let it fall on you!
Give him pleasure, the cause of women, -
The beasts that grew with him in the wilderness will leave him,
He will cling to you with passionate desire. "
Shamhat opened her breasts, bared her shame,
I was not embarrassed, I took his breath,
She flung open her clothes, and he lay down on top,
I gave him pleasure, the cause of women,
And he clung to her with passionate desire.
Six days have passed, seven days have passed -
Enkidu tirelessly recognized the harlot.
When he was satiated with affection,
He turned his face to his beast.
Seeing Enkidu, the gazelles fled,
The steppe beast avoided his body.
Enkidu jumped up, the muscles weakened,
The legs stopped, and his animals left.
Enkidu resigned himself - he, as before, does not run!
But he became smarter, deeper understanding, -
Came back and sat down at the feet of the prodigal

Strong, brave, decisive, Gilgamesh was distinguished by his enormous growth and loved military fun. The inhabitants of Uruk turned to the gods and asked to pacify the warlike Gilgamesh. Then the gods created the wild man Enkidu, thinking that he could satisfy the giant. Enkidu entered a duel with Gilgamesh, but the heroes quickly found out having equal strength. They became friends and performed many glorious feats together.

One day they went to the country of the cedar. In this distant land, on the top of a mountain, lived the evil giant Huvawa. He did a lot of harm to people. The heroes defeated the giant and cut off his head. But the gods were angry with them for such insolence and, on the advice of Inanna, sent an amazing bull to Uruk. Inanna had long been very angry with Gilgamesh for remaining indifferent to her, despite all her signs of respect. But Gilgamesh, along with Enkidu, killed the bull further angered the gods. To take revenge on the hero, the gods killed his friend.

Enkidu - This was the worst calamity for Gilgamesh. After the death of his friend, Gilgamesh set out to learn the secret of immortality in the immortal man Ut-Napishti. He told the guest about how he survived the Flood. He told that it was for his persistence in overcoming difficulties that the gods gave him eternal life. The immortal man knew that the gods would not gather advice for Gilgamesh. But, wanting to help the unfortunate hero, he revealed to him the secret of the flower of eternal youth. Gilgamesh managed to find a mysterious flower. And at that moment, when he tried to pluck it, the snake grabbed the flower and immediately became a young snake. Frustrated, Gilgamesh returned to Uruk. But the sight of a prosperous and well-fortified city delighted him. The people of Uruk were delighted at his return.

The legend about Gilgamesh tells about the futility of man's attempts to gain immortality. A person can become immortal only in the memory of people if they talk about her good deeds and exploits to their children and grandchildren.

The epic (from the gr. "Word, narration, story") about Gilgamesh was recorded on clay tablets for 2500 don e Five epic songs about Gilgamesh, telling about his heroic adventures, have been preserved.

A brave, fearless demigod named Gilgamesh became famous for his own exploits, love for women and the ability to be friends with men. The rebel and ruler of the Sumerians lived to be 126 years old. True, nothing is known about the death of the brave warrior. Perhaps the fame of his deeds does not embellish reality, and the brave Gilgamesh found a way to gain immortality, which he so persistently sought.

History of creation

The biography of Gilgamesh reached the modern world thanks to a cuneiform called "The Epic of Gilgamesh" (another name is "About everything that has seen"). A literary work contains disparate legends about the exploits of an ambiguous character. Some of the records included in the collection date back to the 3rd millennium BC. The heroes of the ancient creation were Gilgamesh himself and his best friend, Enkidu.

The name of the hero is also found in the Tummal Inscriptions - a chronicle of the reconstruction of the city of Tummal, which took place in the 2nd millennium BC. The inscriptions state that Gilgamesh rebuilt the temple of the goddess Ninlil, which suffered from the flood.

The mythology dedicated to the ruler of the Sumerians was reflected in the "Book of Giants", which was included in the Qumran manuscripts. The manuscripts casually touch upon the king of Uruk, without focusing on the exploits of the man.

Written evidence and analysis of the work of Sumerian masters allow us to assert that the character of the ancient epic has a prototype. Scientists are sure that the image of the ancient hero was copied from the real ruler of the city of Uruk, who ruled his fiefdom in the 17-16th century BC.

Myths and legends

Wayward Gilgamesh is the son of the great goddess Ninsun and the high priest of Lugalbanda. The biography of the Sumerian hero has been known since the world flood, which swept away most of humanity from the face of the Earth. People who were saved thanks to Ziusudra began to build new cities.

Due to the growth in the number of settlements, the influence of Aggi - the last of the rulers of Sumer - began to decline. Therefore, when the mature Gilgamesh overthrew the governor Aggi in the city of Uruk, the lord of Sumer sent an army to destroy the impudent rebel.

Gilgamesh has already become famous among the common people as an honest ruler of the city of Kullaba, located next to Uruk. After the overthrow of the local government, Gilgamesh proclaimed himself king of Uruk and united both cities with a thick wall.

Agga attacked the enemy in a rage, but the brave hero did not retreat. The man gathered an army of young residents and began to defend the freedom of cities from the oppression of a greedy ruler. Despite a large army, Agga was defeated. Gilgamesh received the title of ruler of the Sumerians and moved the capital of the state to Uruk.

However, Gilgamesh was distinguished not only by strength and decisiveness. Because of the violent disposition and misplaced pride of the leader of the Sumerians, the gods sent Enkidu to Earth to pacify and defeat the man. But instead of fulfilling the mission entrusted to him, Enkidu joined Gilgamesh and became the best friend of the ruler of Uruk.

Together with Enkidu, the man went to the country of Huwawa, the giant who sowed death. Gilgamesh wanted to get hold of the cedars that the huge monster was growing, and glorify his own name among the descendants.

The road to Huwawa took a long time, but the ruler of the Sumerians reached the magical forest, cut down the cedars and destroyed the giant. The extracted raw materials were used to build new palaces in the capital.

Despite his prideful disposition and disregard for the law, Gilgamesh honored the gods. Therefore, when the goddess of love Inanna turned to the man for help, he dropped everything and rushed to the temple glorifying the goddess.

A beautiful willow tree grew in this temple, which delighted Inanna. But among the roots of the tree a snake started up. In the trunk of the willow, the demon hollowed out a refuge for itself, and in the crown a bloodthirsty eagle made a nest.

The hero cut off the head of the snake with one blow. Seeing the cruel reprisal, the eagle flew away, and Lilith disappeared into thin air. Grateful Inanna gave Gilgamesh a piece of wood, from which the carpenters made a magic drum. As soon as the ruler of Uruk hit a musical instrument, all the young men rushed to carry out their assignments, and the girls without hesitation surrendered to the power of Gilgamesh.

The contented man spent a lot of time in love games, until the gods, who were tired of listening to the complaints of grooms without brides, took away from Gilgamesh a magic instrument.

Seeing how his friend was suffering from the loss of his beloved toy, Enkidu went to the underworld, where the gods brought a magic drum. But the man did not take into account that only a person who does not break the rules can get out of the underworld. Alas, Enkidu found the drum, but could not leave the realm of the dead to return the loss.

Another legend tells about the death of Gilgamesh's friend in a different way. The goddess, impressed by the appearance and courage of Gilgamesh, invited the hero to marry her. But Gilgamesh refused the beauty, because he knew that Ishtar was not consistent.

The offended goddess complained to the god Anu, who sent a monster to Uruk. A huge heavenly bull came down to Earth to destroy his beloved city. Then Enkidu rushed to the enemy, and soon Gilgamesh came to the rescue. Together, the men defeated a dangerous beast.

But for the massacre of the heavenly bull, the gods decided to punish Gilgamesh. After much debate, it was decided to leave the ruler of Uruk alive and take the life of Enkidu. Prayers and requests could not postpone the death of a man. After 13 days, Gilgamesh's best friend died. After mourning for his comrade, the king of Uruk erected a beautiful monument in honor of Enkidu.

Saddened by the loss, the man realized that he would also die one day. Such a turn did not suit the wayward Gilgamesh, so the hero went on a dangerous journey to meet Utnapishtim. In search of immortality, the hero overcame many obstacles. Having found a wise old man, the hero found out that eternal life is given by the advice-grass that grows at the bottom of the sea.

The news did not dampen Gilgamesh's ardor. Having tied stones to his feet, the man took out a magic herb. But while the hero was tidying up his own clothes, a snake dragged the grass-council away. Frustrated, Gilgamesh traveled back to Uruk to live a life of adventure and inevitably die.

• The meaning of the name "Gilgamesh" is the ancestor of the hero. Researchers claim that the word in the Sumerian manner sounded like "Bilga-mas". And the variant that became widespread is a late variation from Akkadia.
• The character became a part of the anime series Gate of Babylon.
• Like the Bible, the stories of Gilgamesh raise the issue of the Great Flood, which destroyed many people. There is a theory that the biblical catastrophe was borrowed from the Sumerians.

Quotes

“Here in Uruk I am the king. I walk the streets alone, for there is no one who would dare to come too close to me. "

"Enkidu, my friend, whom I loved so much, with whom we shared all our labors, - the fate of a man befell him!"

"I will chop a cedar, - the mountains overgrown with it, - I will create an eternal name for myself!"

"After wandering around the world, is peace enough in the land?"

"Let the eyes be saturated with sunlight: the darkness is empty, how much light is needed!"

The most outstanding work of Babylonian literature was the Poem of Gilgamesh, in which the age-old question of the meaning of life and the inevitability of death of a person, even a glorified hero, was raised with great artistic force. Some parts of this poem go back to the Sumerian antiquity. This is the legend about Gilgamesh's struggle with the monster Humbaba, the guardian of the cedar grove. This is the legend “Gilgamesh and the Heavenly Bull”.

The story of Gilgamesh's conversation with the shadow of his deceased friend Enkidu is preserved in the Sumerian poem Gilgamesh and the Willow. Finally, another Sumerian legend describes the struggle of Gilgamesh with Akka, the king of Kish, who laid siege to Uruk. It is possible that in Sumer there was a whole cycle of legends about the exploits of Gilgamesh. Artistic images of Gilgamesh, illustrating individual episodes of the poem, are carved on seals dating back to the Sumerian era.

The name of Gilgamesh, the semi-legendary king of Uruk, has been preserved in the lists of the most ancient kings of Sumer. Judging by one fragment, one of the editions of this poem was compiled during the 1st Babylonian dynasty. The most complete is still the Assyrian edition, written in the Akkadian language in Assyrian cuneiform in the 7th century. BC e. for the Nineveh library of king Ashurbanipal.

The whole poem is divided into four main parts: 1. The story of the brutal control of Gilgamesh in Uruk, the appearance of the second hero - Enkidu and the friendship of the two heroes. 2. Description of the exploits of Gilgamesh and Enkidu. 3. Wanderings of Gilgamesh in search of immortality. 4. The final part, containing the conversation of Gilgamesh with the shadow of the deceased Enkidu.

Indeed, some episodes could be distant echoes of historical events described in ancient legends. These are the episodes about the reign of Gilgamesh in Uruk, about his struggle with Humbaba, about the attitude of Gilgamesh to the goddess Ishtar, which indicates the struggle of the royal power with the priesthood. However, mythological and legendary plots borrowed from ancient legends about the Flood and the creation of man are inserted into the poem about Gilgamesh.

The beginning of the poem tells how Gilgamesh - "two-thirds god and one-third man" - reigns in the ancient city of Uruk and cruelly oppresses the people, forcing them to build city walls and temples to the gods. The gods, heeding the complaints of the people of Uruk, create the hero Enkidu, endowed with supernatural strength and living among the beasts. In an effort to lure this primitive hero to himself, Gilgamesh sends a temple slave to him, who tames Enkidu's wild disposition and leads him to Uruk.

Here, both heroes engage in single combat, but cannot defeat each other. Having made friends, they perform their feats together. They head into the cedar forest, engage in battle with the guardian of the cedar grove Humbaba and kill him.

The goddess Ishtar, seeing the victorious hero, offers him her love. However, the wise and careful Gilgamesh rejects the gifts of the goddess of love, reminding her of how much grief and suffering she caused to her former friends:

You have doomed Tammuz, the friend of your youth,

Year after year for bitter tears.

Offended by Gilgamesh's refusal, Ishtar asks his father, the supreme god Anu, to create a heavenly bull that would destroy the rebellious hero. Yielding to Ishtar's urgent requests, the god Anu sends a monstrous bull to Uruk, which destroys several hundred people. However, the heroes kill this terrible monster. After washing their hands in the waters of the Euphrates, they return to Uruk, where the inhabitants of the city greet them with a triumphal song:

Who is beautiful among heroes?

Who is dignified among men?

Gilgamesh is beautiful among heroes.

Enkidu is dignified among men!

After the festivities in the royal palace, Enkidu sees a prophetic dream that foreshadows his death. Indeed, Enkidu becomes terminally ill. He complains to his friend about the fate that dooms him to an inglorious death from illness, depriving him of the opportunity to die in an honest fight on the battlefield. Gilgamesh mourns the death of his friend and for the first time feels the breath of the wings of death over him.

Gilgamesh performs funeral rites on the body of a friend.

Tormented by the fear of death, driven by dying grief, Gilgamesh sets off on a long journey. He directs his feet to his ancestor Ut-napishtim, who received the great gift of immortality from the gods. Gilgamesh is not afraid of the difficulties of the long journey. Neither the lions guarding the gorges of the mountains, nor the fantastic people-scorpions, "whose eyes are death," nor the Garden of Eden with trees, on which precious stones bloom, nor the goddess Siduri, who calls him to forget about death and surrender to all joys, can detain him life. Gilgamesh sails across the "deep waters of death" on a ship and reaches the abode in which the immortal Ut-napishim lives.

The brave hero tries to find out from his ancestor the secret of eternal life. Answering the questions of Gilgamesh, Ut-write tells him about the world flood, about how the god Ea taught him to build an ark and in it to be saved from the watery chaos. This ancient legend about the flood, during which only one person was saved and received immortality from the gods, who took the “seed of all life” (that is, various animals and birds) into the ark, is inserted into the text of the poem in the form of a special episode.

It is possible that this legend reflected the eternal struggle of the Sumerians with the spontaneous floods of rivers, which, flooding the lowlands of Mesopotamia, threatened with great destruction, but at the same time provided abundant harvests for ancient farmers.

Taking pity on Gilgamesh, Ut-napishtim tries to make Gilgamesh immortal in various magical ways. However, everything turns out to be in vain.

Then Ut-write opens the "secret word" to Gilgamesh and advises him to sink to the bottom of the ocean in order to pluck the grass of immortality. Gilgamesh retrieves this wonderful herb on his way back to Uruk. But negligence destroys the hero. Seeing a pond on his way, Gilgamesh plunges into its cool waters. At this time, a snake creeps up and steals the herb of immortality. The saddened hero, returning to Uruk, asks the gods for the last favor - to see at least the shadow of his deceased friend Enkidu. Then the god of wisdom Ea orders the lord of the underworld Nergal to release the shadow of Enkidu on the earth. The poem ends with a final dialogue between friends. In response to Gilgamesh's passionate plea to tell him the "law of the earth", Enkidu describes the afterlife of people in the darkest colors.

For the first time, with the utmost clarity and with great artistic force, the idea of ​​the inevitability of death is expressed, to which all people are subject, even heroes who have performed the greatest feats, in which "two-thirds of God and one-third of man."

The Poem of Gilgamesh occupies a special place in Babylonian literature. In it, the idea of ​​man's eternal striving to cognize the "law of life", the mystery of life and death, is clothed in an artistic form. The words of the poem, in which the afterlife is depicted as the abode of sorrow and suffering, are imbued with deep pessimism.

Even the famous hero Gilgamesh, "mighty, great and wise", cannot win the highest favor from the gods and receive immortality. Bliss in the afterlife is given only to those who fulfill the commandments of religion, the requirements of the priests, and the rituals of religious worship. This is the main idea of ​​the entire poem, whose roots go back to folk art, but in which the later ideology of the aristocratic priesthood is largely reflected.

The same thought about eternal life, the same striving for immortality permeates the Poem of Adapa. It tells how an ideal wise man, "the seed of humanity" - Adapa, the son of the god of wisdom Ea, who supplied the temple in Eridu with bread, drink, game and fish as a priest, once broke his wings to the south wind and was summoned to the judgment of the supreme god Anu.

Following the advice of his father, Adapa disposes of the gods - the gatekeepers of heaven, and then the supreme god. But at the same time, he refuses the food of eternal life and the drink of immortality. So Adapa, due to his own excessive caution, loses the immortality that was destined for him from above.

Epic of Gilgamesh

Epic of Gilgamesh

"SEEED EVERYTHING"

FROM THE WORDS OF SIN-LEKE-UNNINNI,>

CASTER

TABLE 1

About everything that has seen to the end of the world,

About the one who knew the sea, who crossed all the mountains,

About enemies who conquered with a friend,

About the one who has comprehended wisdom, about the one who permeated everything:

He saw the secret, he knew the secret,

Brought us the news of the days before the flood,

I went on a long journey, but I was tired and resigned,

The story of the labors was carved in stone,

Fenced Uruk1 with a wall,

The light barn of Eana2 the sacred. -

Inspect the wall, whose crowns, like a thread,

Look at the shaft that knows no likeness,

Touch the ancient rapids

And enter Eana, the dwelling of Ishtar3, -

Even the future king will not build such a thing, -

Climb up and walk the walls of Uruk

Look at the foundation, feel the bricks:

Are its bricks burnt

And the walls were not laid by seven wise men?

He is greater than all men,

He is two-thirds God, one-third he is a man,

His body image is incomparable,

He raises the wall of Uruk.

A violent husband whose head, like that of a tour, is uplifted,

Whose weapon is unmatched in battle -

All his comrades are on the drum!

The men of Uruk are afraid in the bedrooms:

"Gilgamesh will not leave a son to his father!

Day and night rampant with flesh.

Often the gods heard their complaint,

They called out to the great Arur5:

"Aruru, you created Gilgamesh,

Now create a likeness for him!

When courage equals Gilgamesh,

Let them compete, let Uruk rest. "

Aruru, hearing these speeches,

Anu6 created similarity in her heart

I washed Aruru's hands

I pinched off the clay, threw it on the ground,

Blinded Enkidu, created a hero.

Spawn of midnight, warrior of Ninurta7,

His whole body is covered with wool,

She wears her hair like a woman

Hair strands are thick like bread;

I knew neither people nor the world,

He is dressed like a Sumukan8.

Together with gazelles he eats herbs,

Together with the beasts it squeezes to the watering place,

Together with creatures, the heart pleases with water

Man is a catcher-hunter

Before the watering place he meets him.

The first day, and the second, and the third

Before the watering place he meets him.

The hunter saw - his face changed,

I returned home with my cattle,

Frightened, fell silent, he became numb,

There is sorrow in his chest, his face is darkened,

Longing has penetrated into his womb,

Has become a face to the one walking a long way.

The hunter went to Gilgamesh,

I set off, I turned my feet to Uruk,

Before the face of Gilgamesh he uttered a word:

"There is a certain man who came from the mountains,

As from a stone from heaven, his hands are strong!

He wanders forever in all the mountains,

Constantly squeezes with the beast to the watering place,

Constantly directs steps to the watering place.

I'm afraid of him, I dare not approach!

I will dig holes - he will fill them,

I'll set traps - he'll rip them out

The beasts and creatures of the steppe are taking away from my hands, -

He doesn't let me work in the steppe! "

Gilgamesh speaks to him, to the hunter:

"Go, my hunter, bring the harlot Shamhat with you

When he gives water to the animals at the watering hole,

Let her tear off her clothes, reveal her beauty, -

Seeing her, he will approach her -

The beasts that grew with him in the wilderness will leave him. "

Six days have passed, seven days have passed -

Enkidu tirelessly recognized the harlot,

When he was satiated with affection,

He turned his face to his beast.

Seeing Enkidu, the gazelles fled,

The steppe beast avoided his body.

Enkidu jumped up, the muscles weakened,

The legs stopped, and his animals left.

Enkidu resigned himself - he, as before, does not run!

But he became smarter, deeper understanding, -

He returned and sat down at the feet of the harlot,

He looks the harlot in the face,

And what the harlot says - ears listen to him.

The harlot speaks to him, Enkidu:

"You are beautiful, Enkidu, you are like a god, -

Why do you wander with the beast in the steppe?

Let's introduce you to Uruk fenced,

To the bright house, the dwelling of Anu,

Where Gilgamesh is perfect in strength

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.

1.Uruk is a city in the south of Mesopotamia, on the banks of the Euphrates (now Varca). Gilgamesh is a historical figure, the king of Uruk who ruled the city around 2600 BC. e.

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

3. Ishtar - goddess of love, fertility, as well as hunting, war, patroness of culture.

4. “All his comrades are on the drum!” It is about summoning all able-bodied citizens of Uruk to build walls. The young men of the city do not have the strength and time to communicate with relatives and lovers.

5. Aruru is the most ancient, pre-Sumerian mother goddess, the creator of people.

6. "Similarity Anu created in her heart ..." Similarity - literally "name", "word", "name".

The name was considered part of the material essence of a person and a deity.

7. Ninurta is a warrior god, the son of Ellil, the god of the air and winds, the king of the gods.

8. Sumukan is the patron god of animals. His "clothing" appears to be nakedness (possibly skins).

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TABLE 2

Heard her word, took speeches,

Women advice sunk into his heart.

Tore the fabric, put it on one,

I dressed myself with the second cloth,

Taking the hand, she led like a child,

To the shepherd's camp, to the cattle corrals.

There the shepherds gathered around them,

They whisper, looking at him:

"That husband with Gilgamesh is similar in appearance,

Shorter in stature, but stronger in bone.

That is true, Enkidu, a creature of the steppe,

Throughout the country his hand is mighty,

As from a stone from heaven, his hands are strong:

He sucked animal milk! "

On the bread that was laid in front of him,

Embarrassed, he looks and looks:

Enkidu did not know how to eat bread,

I was not trained to drink strong drink.

The harlot opened her mouth, speaks to Enkidu.

"Eat bread, Enkidu, it is inherent in life,

Drink siker - the world is destined! "

Enkidu ate his fill of bread,

He drank the strong drink seven jugs.

His soul leaped, roamed,

His heart was merry, his face beamed.

He felt his hairy body

I was dressed with oil, I became like people,

I put on my clothes and looked like my husband.

He took the weapon, fought with the lions -

The shepherds rested at night.

Lvov won and he tamed the wolves -

The great shepherds slept:

Enkidu is their guard, a vigilant husband ...

The message was brought to Uruk, protected by Gilgamesh:

A bed was made for Ishkhara that night,

But a rival appeared to Gilgamesh as a god:

Enkidu barred the door to the marriage chamber with his foot,