Quotes / The Epic of Gilgamesh

"You will not find the life you seek.
When the Gods created Man,
Death for mankind they set aside,
Life in their own hands retaining."

—Siduri, to Gilgamesh

You must have been told that this is what your being a human involves.
You must have been told that this is what the cutting of your umbilical cord involved.
The darkest day of humans awaits you now.
The solitary place of humans awaits you now.
The unstoppable flood-wave awaits you now.
The unequal struggle awaits you now.
The unavoidable battle awaits you now.
The unescapable evil awaits you now.

— "The Death of Gilgamesh" (Sumerian poem, ca. 2200 BC)

We're the Mesopotamians!
Sargon, Hammurabi, Ashurbanipal and Gilgamesh...

—They Might Be Giants, "The Mesopotamians"

Capt. Picard: There's a story, a very ancient one, from Earth. I'll try and remember it. Gilgamesh, a king. Gilgamesh, a king, at Uruk. He tormented his subjects. He made them angry. They cried out aloud, "Send us a companion for our king. Spare us from his madness." Enkidu, a wild man from the forest, entered the city. They fought in the temple. They fought in the street. Gilgamesh defeated Enkidu. They became great friends. Gilgamesh and Enkidu at Uruk.

Capt. Dathon: At Uruk.

Picard: The new friends went out into the desert together, where the great bull of heaven was killing men by the hundreds. Enkidu caught the bull by the tail. Gilgamesh struck it with his sword.

Dathon: (chuckling) Gilgamesh...

Picard: They were victorious. But Enkidu fell to the ground, struck down by the gods. And Gilgamesh wept bitter tears, saying, "he who was my companion through adventure and hardship, is gone forever."

— Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Darmok"

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