In The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian literary masterpiece compiled and analyzed by various scholars over time, the story follows the legendary king of Uruk and his profound journey through friendship, loss, and the search for meaning.

Gilgamesh, initially portrayed as a powerful but arrogant ruler, begins his legacy by building the massive city wall of Uruk. His motivations include protecting his people, ensuring peace, and securing his name for eternity. While this project causes hardship for his citizens, it later stands as a symbol of his greatness.

When King Agga of Kish demands submission, Gilgamesh chooses defiance, consulting both elders and youths of Uruk. The elders, fearing death, suggest surrender, but the youths support resistance. Gilgamesh’s boldness leads Agga to abandon his claim, preventing conflict and reinforcing Gilgamesh’s reputation.

The story deepens with the arrival of Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods, who becomes Gilgamesh’s closest companion. Together, they undertake a heroic mission to slay Humbaba, the monster of the cedar forest. Their victory brings them glory but also divine anger. Gilgamesh’s rejection of the goddess Ishtar’s marriage proposal provokes further wrath, leading her to send the Bull of Heaven, which the two heroes kill. This act, though celebrated by the people, leads to the gods condemning Enkidu to death.

Stricken with grief, Gilgamesh mourns Enkidu’s death deeply and commissions a statue in his honor. The experience confronts Gilgamesh with his own mortality, prompting a quest for eternal life. He seeks out Utnapishtim—the survivor of the Great Flood, who was granted immortality by the gods.

After enduring a perilous journey, Gilgamesh meets Utnapishtim but fails the test of staying awake, proving his human limitations. Utnapishtim eventually tells him of a plant that can restore youth. Gilgamesh retrieves it, intending to share it with Uruk’s elders, but a snake steals it, leaving him heartbroken.

Through these trials, Gilgamesh learns that mortality is the fate of all humans. He returns to Uruk, realizing that his true legacy lies not in escaping death, but in the enduring works he leaves behind—especially the great walls of his city.

This epic, considered the world’s oldest surviving literary work, offers timeless reflections on human ambition, loss, and the search for meaning in the face of death.