A Comparative Analysis of Gilgamesh and Odysseus: Epic Heroes

This essay provides a comparative analysis of the epic heroes Gilgamesh and Odysseus, examining their roles within Mesopotamian and Greek cultures, respectively. It explores their heroic characteristics, struggles, and the societal implications of their legacies. The essay delves into the cultural contexts of these heroes, highlighting the religious beliefs, societal values, and historical backgrounds that shaped their narratives. It discusses the similarities and differences in their journeys, challenges, and interactions with the supernatural. Furthermore, the essay considers how the concept of heroism has evolved over time and the impact of modern cultural ideals on the perception of heroes and role models. The work cites several scholarly sources to support its arguments.

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Comparison of Gilgamesh and Odysseus
The epic heroes Gilgamesh and Odysseus are all great fighters and they are complete with
intimidation and physical beauty. An epic hero is grievous however protects the common people.
There is constantly encounter with death and the heavens (Santas, pg.134). The epic hero is
superhuman however they are not supernatural, but they usually interact with the supernatural.
They usually struggle with overpowering challenges while they struggle for self- realization
nevertheless, they overcome all these ordeals. Gilgamesh epic was created from ancient
Mesopotamia, while Odyssey is linked with ancient Greece. In-depth analysis, the
discussion below narrows down the civilization comparison in the Mesopotamian and Greece
cultures whose heroes were Gilgamesh and Odysseus respectively. It also highlights the
implications the two cultures have to the view of role models and heroes in modern society.
Odysseus and Gilgamesh are the two conquerors from dissimilar time phases and were
both searching for the meaning of life. Odysseus was reputable in early Greece while Gilgamesh
was recognized from early Mesopotamia. Gilgamesh was very predominant and treasured to the
cultural history of Mesopotamia (Haubold, pg.246). It discovered a lot about the religious realm,
such as their assertiveness regarding the gods, how a champion was described and deemed by the

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entire Mesopotamia community. Similarly, Odysseus as the father of the Zeus idols declared that
Odysseus would come back home to his children and wife. With such a rule, Odysseus initiated a
mission where he came across frequent impediments, which includes, Skylla, Kyklops, Lotus
flowers, monsters Kharybdis and dangerous Polyphemus. Odysseus provided solutions for all the
tribulations he encountered and prolonged with his journey (Hall, pg.336).
While Odysseus was set when mythology was the focus of every part of the Greece
culture, Gilgamesh was influential in advancing the Mesopotamian behaviors, culture, and
attitudes. The two epic figures exemplify particular traits which are common: they are
supernatural and during their day-to-day doings, they strive to protect the common people. In
their life journeys, both Odysseus and Gilgamesh are portrayed as grievous characters. For
instance, Odysseus removes his men from Lotus Eaters land while Gilgamesh is regarded by his
Uruk people as a wise shepherd and a protector of the people. He pursues the assistance of sun
god, Shamash, during the Humbaba killing process, a monster that stayed in the forest. The
success of these epic heroes is determined by the supernatural powers that are bestowed in them.
Despite the obstacles and difficulties endured, all the epic figures came back to their normal lives
(WHITMAN, pg.213).
Being a god covered the highest percentage in Gilgamesh’s life compared to his traces of
humanity. Such things made Gilgamesh a distinct hero when compared to Odysseus. Gilgamesh
was more brave and shocking than all people from his Uruk region. Despite viewing himself as a
demigod, he was an earthly man and had witnessed the death of other people until when he died.
Gilgamesh showed the same desires and characteristics throughout his entire life. Both the
conquerors encountered similar challenges that we experience today in contemporary society.

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Mesopotamia and Greece cultures
In the two classics, the responsibilities of the idols are extremely humanized. The idols
chose their preference mortals and would help them when fighting. There is a similarity of
religion in the two cultures. Mesopotamia culture was polytheistic where their idols had
attachments with natural manifestations and phenomena. In Mesopotamia, Shamash was the god
of the sun, Ea the god of water and arts while Ishtar was the god of love and war. In Greek
Calypso was a beautiful goddess who lived in hollow caves while Circe a goddess lived in the
halls. Mesopotamia was influencing the Greek culture because both the cultures originated
around the Mediterranean. They interacted through cultural similarities and trade. Mesopotamia
took advantage of river Tigris and Euphrates and initiated civilization to the ancient Greece
whose states were independent of each other.
Mesopotamian states overlapped over each other and could change with time and
eventually initiated learning among them. They learned how to take advantage of the resources
surrounding them and correcting mistakes in their surrounding community. However, Greek
states were not in a position to communicate because of the terrain mountain that separated them.
Unlike the Mesopotamian culture, the Greeks lacked an individual ruler. The two cultures had
similar writing but different styles. Both the civilizations were common to each other because
they shared similar geographical areas and were close to each other. The similarities initiated
trade between the two cultures and eventually rise in civilization (Blundell, pg.304).
Modern cultural ideals heroes and role models
Present cultural principles manipulate modern perception towards heroes and role models
in society. The heroic personalities in these stories are granted mental perspectives and symbols

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in the contemporary society that gives directives on the possession of similar appearances
(Klapp, pg.266). The hero concept is the one that should be discovered with the change of time
and the description of a hero becomes inexplicit and individuals who are perceived as heroes
change across a wide scale of personality and achievements. Due to influence from the media in
the society, celebrities and high-profile individuals are portrayed in a different manner compared
to how they were presented in Mesopotamia and Greek societies. Today’s real heroes are not the
culture superstars, but individuals, who live for the advantage of others, and expect no reward
from the community. Many superstars and celebrities are viewed as role models because of their
rough backgrounds and their charity work in society. In today’s society, it is difficult to find
heroes because it takes selflessness to evaluate and determine a true hero. Today's society fails to
provide definitions of true heroes or their stories for society to read on their own.

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Work cited
Blundell, Sue. The Origins of Civilization in Greek and Roman Thought (Routledge Revivals). London:
Routledge, 2016 pg 296-315.
Hall, Edith. Return of Ulysses - a cultural history of homers odyssey. I.b.tauris & Co Ltd, 2012 pg 321-344.
Haubold, Johannes. Greece and Mesopotamia. Cambridge University Press, 2013 pg 213-256.
Klapp, Orrin E. Heroes, Villains, and Fools. New York: Routledge, 2017pg 244-278.
Santas, Constantine. The Epic in Film: From Myth to Blockbuster. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield
Publishers, 2007pg 120-139.
WHITMAN, CEDRIC H. HOMER, AND THE HEROIC TRADITION. HARVARD UNIV Press, 2014 pg 205-219.

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