The Epic of Gilgamesh

An ancient Mesopotamian epic poem of adventure and the search for eternal life. The oldest surviving literary work in the world, The Epic of Gilgamesh details the journey of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk, and his companion Enkidu as they search for the secret to immortality . . . Dating back to the third millennium BC, this epic poem influenced religion as well as the tradition of heroic sagas like the Homeric epics. Some even regard Gilgamesh as the prototype for Hercules.