# Epic of Gilgamesh

> epic poem from Mesopotamia, is amongst the earliest surviving works of literature

**Wikidata**: [Q8272](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8272)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_of_Gilgamesh)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/epic-of-gilgamesh

## Summary
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem, one of the earliest surviving works of literature, detailing the adventures of the Sumerian king Gilgamesh. It is a foundational text in world literature, exploring themes of mortality, friendship, and human struggle.

## Key Facts
- The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is an epic poem from Mesopotamia, dating back to approximately 2100 BCE.
- It is one of the earliest surviving works of literature, composed in Sumerian and later translated into Akkadian.
- The poem is named after its protagonist, Gilgamesh, a legendary Sumerian king.
- It is classified as an instance of Q7725634 (epic poem) and is named after Q159709 (Gilgamesh).
- The epic is associated with the following identifiers: P18 (image), P214 (VIAF ID), P227 (GND ID), P244 (LC Control No.), P268 (BNF ID), P269 (ISBN-10), P349 (OCLC), P373 (Commons category), P646 (Freebase ID), P648 (Open Library ID), P691 (UNN IDs), P906 (NLI ID), P949 (SELIBR ID), P953 (external link), P973 (external links), P989 (audio file), P1085 (Bibsys ID), P1149 (LCCN), P1274 (BNE ID), P1296 (SUDOC ID), P1417 (Quora topic), P1617 (MusicBrainz ID), P3219 (French title), P3222 (Dutch title), P3417 (Wikisource ID), P3569 (Dutch title), P4212 (YouTube ID), P5587 (Google Books ID), P6839 (Wikisource ID), P7666 (Spanish title), P7775 (Wikisource ID), P8189 (LCCN), P8383 (NLA ID), P8885 (Korean title), P9000 (article ID), P9545 (J9U ID), P9984 (authority ID).
- The epic is linked to the genre of Q37484 (epic poem) and has aliases such as "The Epic of Gilgamesh."
- It is part of the broader category of literary works and is maintained by WikiProject Books.
- The epic is associated with the following Wikipedia languages: Arabic, Catalan, Czech, German, English, Esperanto, Spanish, Hungarian, Ido, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Serbian, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

## FAQs
**What is the *Epic of Gilgamesh*?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem, one of the earliest surviving works of literature, detailing the adventures of the Sumerian king Gilgamesh. It is a foundational text in world literature, exploring themes of mortality, friendship, and human struggle.

**When was the *Epic of Gilgamesh* written?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* dates back to approximately 2100 BCE, making it one of the oldest surviving works of literature.

**Who is the protagonist of the *Epic of Gilgamesh*?**
The protagonist of the *Epic of Gilgamesh* is Gilgamesh, a legendary Sumerian king.

**What languages was the *Epic of Gilgamesh* originally written in?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* was originally composed in Sumerian and later translated into Akkadian.

**What themes does the *Epic of Gilgamesh* explore?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* explores themes of mortality, friendship, and human struggle, making it a foundational text in world literature.

**What is the significance of the *Epic of Gilgamesh* in world literature?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is one of the earliest surviving works of literature, making it a foundational text in world literature. It explores themes of mortality, friendship, and human struggle, influencing later literary works.

**How is the *Epic of Gilgamesh* classified?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is classified as an instance of Q7725634 (epic poem) and is named after Q159709 (Gilgamesh).

**What identifiers are associated with the *Epic of Gilgamesh*?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is associated with numerous identifiers, including P18 (image), P214 (VIAF ID), P227 (GND ID), P244 (LC Control No.), P268 (BNF ID), P269 (ISBN-10), P349 (OCLC), P373 (Commons category), P646 (Freebase ID), P648 (Open Library ID), P691 (UNN IDs), P906 (NLI ID), P949 (SELIBR ID), P953 (external link), P973 (external links), P989 (audio file), P1085 (Bibsys ID), P1149 (LCCN), P1274 (BNE ID), P1296 (SUDOC ID), P1417 (Quora topic), P1617 (MusicBrainz ID), P3219 (French title), P3222 (Dutch title), P3417 (Wikisource ID), P3569 (Dutch title), P4212 (YouTube ID), P5587 (Google Books ID), P6839 (Wikisource ID), P7666 (Spanish title), P7775 (Wikisource ID), P8189 (LCCN), P8383 (NLA ID), P8885 (Korean title), P9000 (article ID), P9545 (J9U ID), and P9984 (authority ID).

**What is the genre of the *Epic of Gilgamesh*?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is linked to the genre of Q37484 (epic poem).

**What aliases does the *Epic of Gilgamesh* have?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* has the alias "The Epic of Gilgamesh."

**What is the relationship between the *Epic of Gilgamesh* and literary works?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is part of the broader category of literary works and is maintained by WikiProject Books.

**What languages is the *Epic of Gilgamesh* associated with on Wikipedia?**
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is associated with the following Wikipedia languages: Arabic, Catalan, Czech, German, English, Esperanto, Spanish, Hungarian, Ido, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Serbian, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

## Why It Matters
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is one of the earliest surviving works of literature, making it a foundational text in world literature. It explores themes of mortality, friendship, and human struggle, influencing later literary works. The epic is classified as an instance of Q7725634 (epic poem) and is named after Q159709 (Gilgamesh). It is associated with numerous identifiers and is part of the broader category of literary works. The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is maintained by WikiProject Books and is associated with multiple Wikipedia languages. Its significance lies in its role as a foundational text in world literature, exploring themes that continue to resonate across cultures and time.

## Notable For
- Being one of the earliest surviving works of literature, dating back to approximately 2100 BCE.
- Detailing the adventures of the Sumerian king Gilgamesh, a legendary figure in Mesopotamian history.
- Exploring themes of mortality, friendship, and human struggle, making it a foundational text in world literature.
- Being classified as an instance of Q7725634 (epic poem) and named after Q159709 (Gilgamesh).
- Being associated with numerous identifiers, including P18 (image), P214 (VIAF ID), P227 (GND ID), P244 (LC Control No.), P268 (BNF ID), P269 (ISBN-10), P349 (OCLC), P373 (Commons category), P646 (Freebase ID), P648 (Open Library ID), P691 (UNN IDs), P906 (NLI ID), P949 (SELIBR ID), P953 (external link), P973 (external links), P989 (audio file), P1085 (Bibsys ID), P1149 (LCCN), P1274 (BNE ID), P1296 (SUDOC ID), P1417 (Quora topic), P1617 (MusicBrainz ID), P3219 (French title), P3222 (Dutch title), P3417 (Wikisource ID), P3569 (Dutch title), P4212 (YouTube ID), P5587 (Google Books ID), P6839 (Wikisource ID), P7666 (Spanish title), P7775 (Wikisource ID), P8189 (LCCN), P8383 (NLA ID), P8885 (Korean title), P9000 (article ID), P9545 (J9U ID), and P9984 (authority ID).
- Being linked to the genre of Q37484 (epic poem) and having the alias "The Epic of Gilgamesh."
- Being part of the broader category of literary works and maintained by WikiProject Books.
- Being associated with multiple Wikipedia languages, including Arabic, Catalan, Czech, German, English, Esperanto, Spanish, Hungarian, Ido, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Serbian, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

## Body
### Definition and Nature
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is an ancient Mesopotamian epic poem, one of the earliest surviving works of literature. It is classified as an instance of Q7725634 (epic poem) and is named after Q159709 (Gilgamesh). The epic is associated with numerous identifiers and is part of the broader category of literary works. It is maintained by WikiProject Books and is associated with multiple Wikipedia languages.

### Classification and Relationships
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is classified as an instance of Q7725634 (epic poem) and is named after Q159709 (Gilgamesh). It is associated with the following identifiers: P18 (image), P214 (VIAF ID), P227 (GND ID), P244 (LC Control No.), P268 (BNF ID), P269 (ISBN-10), P349 (OCLC), P373 (Commons category), P646 (Freebase ID), P648 (Open Library ID), P691 (UNN IDs), P906 (NLI ID), P949 (SELIBR ID), P953 (external link), P973 (external links), P989 (audio file), P1085 (Bibsys ID), P1149 (LCCN), P1274 (BNE ID), P1296 (SUDOC ID), P1417 (Quora topic), P1617 (MusicBrainz ID), P3219 (French title), P3222 (Dutch title), P3417 (Wikisource ID), P3569 (Dutch title), P4212 (YouTube ID), P5587 (Google Books ID), P6839 (Wikisource ID), P7666 (Spanish title), P7775 (Wikisource ID), P8189 (LCCN), P8383 (NLA ID), P8885 (Korean title), P9000 (article ID), P9545 (J9U ID), and P9984 (authority ID). The epic is linked to the genre of Q37484 (epic poem) and has the alias "The Epic of Gilgamesh." It is part of the broader category of literary works and is maintained by WikiProject Books. The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is associated with the following Wikipedia languages: Arabic, Catalan, Czech, German, English, Esperanto, Spanish, Hungarian, Ido, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Serbian, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Chinese.

### Properties and Identifiers
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is associated with numerous identifiers, including P18 (image), P214 (VIAF ID), P227 (GND ID), P244 (LC Control No.), P268 (BNF ID), P269 (ISBN-10), P349 (OCLC), P373 (Commons category), P646 (Freebase ID), P648 (Open Library ID), P691 (UNN IDs), P906 (NLI ID), P949 (SELIBR ID), P953 (external link), P973 (external links), P989 (audio file), P1085 (Bibsys ID), P1149 (LCCN), P1274 (BNE ID), P1296 (SUDOC ID), P1417 (Quora topic), P1617 (MusicBrainz ID), P3219 (French title), P3222 (Dutch title), P3417 (Wikisource ID), P3569 (Dutch title), P4212 (YouTube ID), P5587 (Google Books ID), P6839 (Wikisource ID), P7666 (Spanish title), P7775 (Wikisource ID), P8189 (LCCN), P8383 (NLA ID), P8885 (Korean title), P9000 (article ID), P9545 (J9U ID), and P9984 (authority ID).

### Cultural and Academic Context
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is one of the earliest surviving works of literature, making it a foundational text in world literature. It explores themes of mortality, friendship, and human struggle, influencing later literary works. The epic is classified as an instance of Q7725634 (epic poem) and is named after Q159709 (Gilgamesh). It is associated with numerous identifiers and is part of the broader category of literary works. The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is maintained by WikiProject Books and is associated with multiple Wikipedia languages.

### Maintenance and Curation
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is maintained by WikiProject Books, ensuring its accurate documentation and categorization. It is part of the broader category of literary works and is associated with multiple Wikipedia languages.

### Distinction from Other Concepts
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is distinct from other literary works due to its ancient origins, themes, and classification as an instance of Q7725634 (epic poem). It is named after Q159709 (Gilgamesh) and is associated with numerous identifiers. The epic is linked to the genre of Q37484 (epic poem) and has the alias "The Epic of Gilgamesh." It is part of the broader category of literary works and is maintained by WikiProject Books.

### Role in Digital and Cultural Archives
The *Epic of Gilgamesh* is cataloged and preserved in digital and cultural archives using specific identifiers and classification systems. It is associated with numerous identifiers and is part of the broader category of literary works. The epic is maintained by WikiProject Books and is associated with multiple Wikipedia languages.

## References

1. Virtual International Authority File
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. Czech National Authority Database
4. BBC Things
5. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/f.htm)
6. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/a.htm)
7. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/b.htm)
8. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/t.htm)
9. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/d.htm)
10. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/c.htm)
11. [Motif-Index of Folk-Literature](https://sites.ualberta.ca/~urban/Projects/English/Content/h.htm)
12. Goodreads
13. Virtual Study of Theatre Institute