History tells us many stories – some based on fantasy, and some based on truth. Ancient Mesopotamia too had its own share of stories. One of which considered as the earliest surviving great work of literature is the Epic of Gilgamesh. It is an epic poem from Mesopotamia. It was written on 12 clay tablets in the cuneiform writing style. It is about the adventures of the historical king of Uruk, Gilgamesh, who seemed to have lived in Mesopotamia about 2700 BC. The epic begins with Gilgamesh ruling the city of Uruk. Gilgamesh learns about a wild man who lives out in the hills near the city. The wild man was Enkidu. Gilgamesh gets Enkidu to come to the city, and the two become friends. They have many adventures together. When Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh mourns his friend’s death.
He starts seeking the secret of eternal life and later learns that he can become immortal if he stays awake for a week, watching a plant. But he fails and falls asleep. Realizing the fact that everybody has to die some day, he returns to Uruk as a much wiser man than before.