From wikipedia:
The Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Mesopotamia (ancient Iraq) and is among the earliest known works of literary writing. Scholars believe that it originated as a series of Sumerian legends and poems about the mythological hero-king Gilgamesh, which were gathered into a longer Akkadian epic much later. The most complete version existing today is preserved on 12 clay tablets from the library collection of 7th-century BC Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. It was originally titled He who Saw the Deep (Sha naqba īmuru) or Surpassing All Other Kings (Shūtur eli sharrī). Gilgamesh was probably a real ruler in the late Early Dynastic II period (ca. 27th century BC).[1]
The story revolves around a relationship between Gilgamesh, who has become distracted and disheartened by his rule, and his close companion, Enkidu. Enkidu is a wild man created by the gods as Gilgamesh's equal to distract him from oppressing the citizens of Uruk. Together they undertake dangerous quests that incur the displeasure of the gods. Firstly, they journey to the Cedar Mountain to defeat Humbaba, its monstrous guardian. Later they kill the Bull of Heaven that the goddess Ishtar has sent to punish Gilgamesh for spurning her advances.
The latter part of the epic focuses on Gilgamesh's distressed reaction to Enkidu's death, which takes the form of a quest for immortality. Gilgamesh attempts to learn the secret of eternal life by undertaking a long and perilous journey to meet the immortal flood hero, Utnapishti. Ultimately the poignant words addressed to Gilgamesh in the midst of his quest foreshadow the end result: "You will never find that life for which you are looking. When the gods created man they allotted to him death, but life they retained in their own keeping.". Gilgamesh, however, was widely celebrated by posterity for his building achievements, and for bringing back long-lost cultic knowledge to Uruk as a result of his meeting with Uttnapishti. The story is widely read in translation, and the protagonist, Gilgamesh, has become an icon of popular culture.
Tablet one
The story starts with the introduction of Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. Gilgamesh, two-thirds god and one-third man, oppresses the city's citizens who cry out to the gods for help. For the young women of Uruk this oppression takes the form of a droit de seigneur–or "lord's right"–to the virginity of newly-married brides on their wedding night. For to the young men it is conjectured that Gilgamesh exhausted them through games, tests of strength, or perhaps forced labour on building projects. The gods respond to the citizens' plea for intervention by creating an equal to Gilgamesh who will distract him from his objectionable activities. They create a primitive man, Enkidu, who is covered in hair and lives in the wild with the animals. His seduction by Shamhat, a temple prostitute, is the first step in his civilization, and she proposes to take him back to Uruk. Gilgamesh, meanwhile, has been having dreams that relate to the imminent arrival of a new companion.
Tablet two
Shamhat brings Enkidu to the shepherds' camp where he is introduced to a human diet and becomes the camp's night watchman. Learning from a passing stranger about Gilgamesh's treatment of new brides, Enkidu is incensed and travels to Uruk to intervene at a wedding. When Gilgamesh attempts to visit the wedding chamber, Enkidu blocks his way and they fight. Finally, Enkidu acknowledges Gilgamesh's superior strength, the battle ends, and they become friends. Gilgamesh proposes that they journey together to the Cedar Forest to slay the monstrous demi-god Humbaba, in order to gain fame and renown. Despite warnings from both Enkidu and the council of elders, Gilgamesh decides to proceed on this dangerous quest.
Tablet three
The elders give Gilgamesh advice for his journey. Gilgamesh visits his mother, the goddess Ninsun, who seeks the support and protection of the sun-god Shamash for the two adventurers. Ninsun adopts Enkidu as her son, Gilgamesh leaves instructions for governing Uruk in his absence, and they embark on their quest.
Tablet four
Gilgamesh and Enkidu journey to the Cedar Forest. Every few days they make camp on a hill or mountain to perform a dream ritual. Gilgamesh has five terrifying dreams that involve falling mountains, thunderstorms, wild bulls, and a thunderbird that breathes fire. Despite similarities between the dream images and earlier descriptions of Humbaba, Enkidu interprets all of the dreams as good omens, denying that any of the frightening images represent the forest guardian. As they approach the cedar mountain they hear Humbaba bellowing and have to encourage each other not to be afraid.
Tablet five
The heroes enter the cedar forrest and their fears return. Humbaba, the ogre-guardian of the Cedar Forest, insults and threatens them. He accuses Enkidu of betrayal, then vows to disembowel Gilgamesh and feed his flesh to the birds. Gilgamesh is afraid, but with some encouraging words from Enkidu the battle commences. The mountains quake with the tumult and the sky turns black. The god Shamash sends his 13 winds to bind Humbaba and he is captured. The monster pleads for his life, and Gilgamesh pities him. Enkidu is enraged and asks Gilgamesh to kill the beast. Humbaba curses them both and Gilgamesh responds by dispatching him with a blow to the neck. The two heroes cut down the cedars, including a gigantic tree that Enkidu plans to fashion into door for the temple of Enlil. They build a raft and return home via the Euphrates with the giant tree and the head of Humbaba.
Tablet six
Gilgamesh rejects the sexual advances of the goddess Ishtar (goddess of love and war), because of her mistreatment of her previous lovers like Dumuzi. Ishtar asks her father Anu, the sky-god, to send the "Bull of Heaven" to avenge the rejected sexual advances. When Anu rejects her complaints, Ishtar threatens to raise the dead. Anu becomes frightened and gives in. The bull of heaven is a plague for the lands. Apparently the creature has something to do with drought; according to the epic the water disappeared and the vegetation died. Whatever the case, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, this time without divine help, slay the beast and offer its heart to Shamash. When they hear Ishtar cry out in agony, Enkidu tears off the bull's hindquarter and throws it in her face and threatens her. The city of Uruk celebrates, but Enkidu has a bad dream.
Tablet seven
In Enkidu's dream, the gods decide that somebody must be punished for killing the Bull of Heaven and Humbaba, and in the end they decide to punish Enkidu. All of this is much against the will of Shamash. Enkidu tells Gilgamesh all about it, then curses the door he made for the gods. Gilgamesh is shocked and goes to temple to pray to Shamash for the health of his friend. Enkidu then starts to curse the trapper and Shamhat because now he regrets the day that he became human. Shamash speaks from heaven and points out how unfair Enkidu is; he also tells him that Gilgamesh will become a shadow of his former self because of his death. Enkidu regrets his curses and blesses Shamhat. He becomes more and more ill and describes his descent into the horrific Netherworld as he is dying, which he calls the "House of Dust" where the dead wear feathers like birds, they eat clay and do without light.
Tablet eight
Gilgamesh delivers a lamentation for Enkidu, offering gifts to the many gods, in order that he might walk beside Enkidu in the netherworld. He orders the people of Uruk to also mourn Enkidu, from the lowest farmer to the highest temple priests, and orders statues of Enkidu to be built. Gilgamesh is so full of grief and sorrow over his friend that he refuses to leave Enkidu's side, or allow his corpse to be buried, until six days and seven nights after his death when a maggot falls from Enkidu's nose.
Tablet nine
Gilgamesh sets out to avoid Enkidu's fate and makes a perilous journey to visit Utnapishti (the Faraway, a Mesopotamian counterpart of Noah) and his wife. They are the only humans to have survived the Great Flood, being granted immortality by the gods. Gilgamesh hopes to find them and learn the secret of immortality. The ageless Utnapishtim and his wife now reside in a beautiful country in another world, and Gilgamesh travels far to the east, crossing great rivers, oceans, and mountain passes and encountering many dangers along the way. Eventually he comes to the twin peaks of Mount Mashu at the end of the earth, the gate of which is guarded by two terrible scorpion-beings. They allow him to proceed after Gilgamesh convinces them to let him past, and he travels for many hours in complete darkness through the tunnel where the sun travels every night. The world at the end of the tunnel is a bright, wonderland land full of jewel-laden trees.
Tablet ten
Gilgamesh meets the alewife Siduri, who first believes Gilgamesh is a murderer from his dishevelled appearance, and tells her the purpose of his journey. Siduri attempts to dissuade him from his quest but sends him to Urshanabi, the ferryman, to help him cross the sea to Utnapishtim. Urshanabi is in the company of stone-giants. Gilgamesh considers them hostile and kills them. When he tells Urshanabi his story and asks for help, he is told that he just killed the only creatures able to cross the Waters of Death. The Waters of Death, analogous to the River Styx of Greek mythology, are deadly to the touch, so Urshanabi asks him to cut 120 trees and fashion them into punting poles. Finally, they reach the island of Utnapishtim. Utnapishtim sees that there is someone else in the boat and asks Gilgamesh who he is. Gilgamesh tells him his story and asks for help, but Utnapishtim reprimands him because fighting the common fate of humans is futile and diminishes life's joys.
Tablet eleven
(Note) The earliest Sumerian Gilgamesh stories date from as early as the Third Dynasty of Ur (2100 BCE-2000 BC).[4] The earliest Akkadian versions are dated to ca. 2000-1500 BC.[5] The five extant Sumerian Gilgamesh stories do not include a separate account of his journey to Utnapishtim (Ziusudra in Sumerian), but they do refer to it. In list of Gilgamesh's accomplishments, found in the story of the his death, we read of his journey to meet Ziusudra and the cultic knowledge that he brought back to the people of Uruk. There is also a short description of the flood in the same context, as the gods debate whether to grant Gilgamesh eternal life like they did for Ziusudra. The "standard" Akkadian version, of course, included a complete flood story and was edited by Sin-liqe-unninni sometime between 1300 BC and 1000 BC.[6] (see Gilgamesh flood myth for references).
Gilgamesh argues that Utnapishtim is not different from him and asks him his story, and why he has a different fate. Utnapishtim tells him about the great flood. His story is a summary of the story of Atrahasis (see also Gilgamesh flood myth) but skips the previous plagues sent by the gods. He reluctantly offers Gilgamesh a chance for immortality, but questions why the gods would give the same honor as himself, the flood hero, to Gilgamesh and challenges Gilgamesh to stay awake for six days and seven nights first. However, just when Utnapishtim finishes his words Gilgamesh falls asleep. Utnapishtim ridicules the sleeping Gilgamesh in the presence of his wife and tells her to bake a loaf of bread for every day he is asleep so that Gilgamesh cannot deny his failure. When Gilgamesh, after seven days, discovers his failure, Utnapishtim reprimands him and sends him back to Uruk with Urshanabi.
The moment that they leave, Utnapishtim's wife asks her husband to have mercy on Gilgamesh for his long journey. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh of a boxthorn-like plant at the very bottom of the ocean that will make him young again. Gilgamesh obtains the plant by binding stones to his feet so he can walk the bottom of the sea. He does not trust the plant and plans to test it on an old man's back when he returns to Uruk. Unfortunately he places the plant on the shore of a lake while he bathes, and it is stolen by a serpent. Gilgamesh weeps at the futility of his efforts, having now lost all chance of immortality. He then returns to Uruk, where the sight of its massive walls prompts him to praise this enduring work to Urshanabi.
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