Question
Here is the question : IN WHAT LANGUAGE WAS THE ANCIENT POEM “THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH” COMPOSED?
Option
Here is the option for the question :
- Amharic
- Arabic
- Tigrinya
- Akkadian
The Answer:
And, the answer for the the question is :
Explanation:
The ancient language of Akkadian was the medium in which ‘The Epic of Gilgamesh’ was composed. Composed of 12 Akkadian tablets, the epic chronicles the odyssey of Gilgamesh, the king of the Mesopotamian city-state Uruk. In the 19th century, a Turkish Assyriologist was searching through the old library of Nineveh when he came across the tablets (near modern-day Mosul, Iraq).
The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest known works of literature. Composed in the ancient Akkadian language, the poem recounts the story of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk, and his quest for immortality. Written on clay tablets around 2100 BCE, the Epic of Gilgamesh provides crucial insight into Mesopotamian culture, religion and philosophy.
Akkadian was the dominant language of the Akkadian Empire, spanning from the 24th to 22nd centuries BCE. It was a Semitic language written using the cuneiform script on clay tablets. Akkadian works include commercial and administrative documents, letters, hymns, prayers, proverbs and the Epic of Gilgamesh – considered Akkadian’s greatest literary achievement.
The Epic of Gilgamesh follows the journey of Gilgamesh, a demigod king, as he searches for meaning in life and seeks to escape mortality after the death of his friend Enkidu. He undertakes a perilous voyage to find Utnapishtim, the only mortal granted eternal life by the gods. Gilgamesh eventually discovers that immortality is beyond mortal reach, and finds purpose and meaning in living life fully while he can.
The poem is a profound exploration of deep human questions including life, death, friendship, the search for purpose and meaning, the relationship between gods and men, and humanity’s place in the universe. It touches on themes of loss, legacy, and the impermanence of life that remain deeply resonant today.
Composed in Akkadian, the Epic of Gilgamesh provides invaluable insight into Mesopotamian culture. It refers to Mesopotamian deities like Enlil, Sin, Ishtar, and Marduk, and incorporates Mesopotamian cosmology, mythology and beliefs. At the same time, it grapples with universal themes through poetry, metaphor and philosophy that transcend its cultural context.
The discovery and translation of the Epic of Gilgamesh opened a window into one of the earliest civilizations, expanding our understanding of human spiritual experience at the dawn of history. Its timeless story and poetic design have led to its acclaim as a masterpiece of world literature, illuminating the ancient past while speaking to the present in a way that continues today.
Though composed in Akkadian, the Epic of Gilgamesh has resonated across cultures and time, finding new voices in translations that allow its story and meaning to endure. Its original Akkadian text holds immense cultural, linguistic and literary significance as one of history’s earliest poetic works. Together, the poem’s ancient origins and timeless themes embody the human spirit, carrying echoes of Mesopotamia’s past into the future. The Epic of Gilgamesh represents humanity’s deepest stories, told through poetry and metaphor, as eternal as humankind itself.